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Kennedy Demands Accountability After DHS Released Blind, Disabled Refugee Into Freezing Buffalo Winter; Secures Verbal Confirmation of Investigation From Mullin

WASHINGTON, D.C. – At a House Committee on Homeland Security hearing Congressman Tim Kennedy (NY-26) pressed Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Markwayne Mullin for answers regarding the death of Nurul Amin Shah Alam, a Buffalo refugee whose death was ruled a homicide after DHS agents released him at a closed coffee shop in below-freezing temperatures earlier this year.

Kennedy questioned Secretary Mullin directly about whether DHS is conducting any internal investigation into Alam’s death and challenged the Department’s previous claims that Alam had been released at a “warm, safe location,” despite being left at a closed Tim Hortons during a cold winter night alone, blind, separated from his family, and unable to effectively communicate in English.

Despite no formal response to any of Congressman Kennedy’s oversight letters, during their exchange Secretary Mullin verbally confirmed that DHS is investigating the incident, but refused to provide any further information to support that claim. While pressing Secretary Mullin to confirm in writing a DHS internal investigation, Congressman Kennedy added, “We want the American people to see what your department is doing. This committee deserves answers and the people of this country deserve answers.”

Congressman Kennedy's full remarks can be viewed here.

During his questioning, Kennedy noted that despite his repeated written requests to the Department, DHS has yet to provide a response or any meaningful information about the circumstances surrounding Alam’s death. Kennedy has led multiple oversight efforts related to the case, including requests for federal and state-level investigations, a visit to DHS facilities in Western New York, and correspondence with both former DHS Secretary Noem and current Secretary Mullin. Kennedy successfully solicited a state level inquiry into the matter from New York Attorney General Letitia James.

The hearing marked Secretary Mullin’s first appearance before the House Committee on Homeland Security since his confirmation in March. Kennedy used the opportunity to underscore broader concerns about accountability within DHS and the Department’s responsibility to uphold the safety, dignity, and constitutional rights of every person in its custody.

This hearing comes a day after Congressman Kennedy introduced the DHS Release Transparency Act, legislation, inspired by the tragic and preventable death of Nurul Amin Shah Alam. The bill requires Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to notify a detainee’s chosen point of contact prior to release from DHS custody. After Shah Alam’s release from local custody, he was immediately taken into custody by DHS, who erroneously believed he lacked legal status. Upon receiving confirmation that he was indeed legally present in the U.S., the DHS agents, rather than notifying his loved ones of his status, dropped Shah Alam at an unsafe, unfamiliar location – a closed Tim Hortons restaurant on a wintery Buffalo night. Shah Alam was nearly blind, did not speak English, suffered from mobility issues, and was not equipped with proper clothing to safely be outside. He was found dead five days later in Buffalo.

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