ST. PAUL, Minn. — The Center for Victims of Torture™ (CVT) issued this statement in response to reports that a refugee has died in New York after being abandoned by Customs and Border Patrol on release from custody.

“The death of Nurul Amin Shah Alam, a Rohingya refugee from Myanmar who spoke no English and was nearly blind, after Border Patrol abandoned him to the cold of Buffalo, New York, is horrifying and unacceptable. ICE and Customs and Border Patrol deserting people after release is not new, however. This is a well-established pattern by immigration enforcement officials, so consistent in Minnesota that there is an organized system of volunteers who meet newly-released people wherever they are reported.

“CVT clients detained by ICE in Minnesota and in Arizona have been subjected to this treatment, which carries extreme risks to life and safety. The courts have ruled that sending people to unsafe third countries is illegal; surely it is illegal to release people to unsafe conditions inside the United States as well.

“Will there be accountability for these actions, for all the harm being done to immigrants under this administration? CBP must answer for the death and abandonment of immigration detainees.” -Yumna Rizvi, CVT senior policy analyst

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The Center for Victims of Torture is a nonprofit organization with offices in Ethiopia, Iraq, Jordan, Kenya, Mexico, Uganda, United States and additional project sites around the world. Visit www.cvt.org