A New York State Assembly member is calling for transparency and accountability following the death of refugee Nurul Amin Shah Alam.
BUFFALO, N.Y. — A local New York State Assembly member is calling for transparency, and accountability, in the death of refugee Nurul Amin Shah Alam.
Jonathan Rivera is asking the Erie County Legislature to hold a public hearing with the county sheriff’s office. He says the hearing would help the public better understand what procedures the sheriff’s office follows when it comes to working with federal authorities.
“I’m hopeful that we’re able to pass the necessary legislation in New York to prevent this sort of thing from happening again,” Rivers said. “It’s very, very clear that local law enforcement has no business interacting with ICE.
“They don’t have the preparation for it. They don’t have the training for it. They don’t have the skill set for it. They don’t have the temperament for it. They don’t have the compassion for it, and frankly, they don’t have enough people.”
Rivera says a public hearing is a necessary first step toward restoring public trust.
Shah Alam was found dead on on Feb. 24, several days after being dropped off outside a Tim Hortons following his release from U.S. Border Patrol custody. His family’s attorneys said he was partially blind and spoke little English.
Buffalo Common Council members, including Joe Golombek, have previously called for an investigation.
“I don’t have anything in this, I’m not looking for any narrative, I don’t know what happened, I want the truth to come out so we can find out how did he ask, if he didn’t speak English, to get to Niagara and Ontario Street,” he said.