1. United States
2. Ohio
3. Letter

I am writing to you today as a deeply concerned constituent to express my outrage regarding the recent death of Nurul Amin Shah Alam, a 56-year-old Rohingya refugee, in Buffalo, New York. In February 2026, federal agents from U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) reportedly dropped Mr. Alam—who was nearly blind and spoke no English—at a closed Tim Hortons in freezing temperatures. He was left without proper winter clothing, and his family and legal counsel were never notified of his release. He was found dead days later. This incident represents a staggering lack of basic human decency and a complete failure of the protocols meant to ensure the safety of individuals in federal custody. It is unacceptable that a federal agency funded by my taxpayer dollars would abandon a disabled, vulnerable individual in such a callous manner. As my representative in Washington, I urge you to take the following actions: -- Support Oversight: Join the growing bipartisan call for a full, transparent investigation into CBP’s release protocols and the specific actions of the agents involved in this case. -- Legislative Action: Support the Humanitarian Standards for Individuals in ICE and CBP Custody Act to ensure that health screenings and safe release transfers are legally mandated, not optional. -- Funding Accountability: Use the power of the appropriations process to ensure that DHS is held to strict humanitarian standards and that there are consequences for negligence. Our federal agencies must reflect our values as a nation. I look forward to hearing what specific steps you will take to ensure that tragedies like this never happen again and that those responsible are held accountable.