Nurul Amin Shah Alam, a 56-year-old Rohingya refugee with severe visual impairment, was discovered deceased in Buffalo on Tuesday evening, just days after U.S. Border Patrol agents left him at a donut shop located miles from his residence. The incident has sparked outrage among immigrant advocacy groups and raised serious questions about the treatment of vulnerable individuals in immigration custody.
Shah Alam, who fled persecution in Burma, had been reported missing since February 19. According to city officials, officers from the B District responded to a call regarding a deceased person on the first block of Perry Street around 8:30 p.m. The Erie County Medical Examiner's Office subsequently confirmed his identity and notified his family earlier today.
"The cause of death has been determined to be health-related," stated Ian Ott, a spokesperson for Buffalo City Hall, during a press briefing. "We can confirm that neither exposure to the elements nor homicide contributed to his passing." However, homicide detectives continue to investigate the circumstances and timeline of events following his release from federal custody.
The chain of events leading to this tragedy began when Shah Alam was released from the Erie County Holding Center on Thursday afternoon after posting bail. He had been represented by attorney Benjamin Macaluso from the Legal Aid Bureau, who negotiated a plea agreement with the Erie County District Attorney's Office. The deal involved Shah Alam pleading guilty to misdemeanor charges of trespassing and possession of a weapon—the latter referring to a curtain rod he used as a walking aid due to his near-blindness.
This plea arrangement was specifically structured to "clear" an immigration detainer that had been placed on him, thereby preventing his transfer to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) or another federal immigration agency. Despite this, the Erie County Sheriff's Office contacted Border Patrol prior to his release, initiating a sequence of events that would prove fatal.
According to Macaluso, Border Patrol agents took custody of Shah Alam at the Holding Center at precisely 4:39 p.m. on Thursday. Rather than facilitating his safe return home, the agents transported him to a Tim Hortons location on Niagara Street in Buffalo's Black Rock neighborhood—a location approximately five miles from his residence in the Broadway-Fillmore area on the city's East Side.
The decision to leave a visually impaired man at a commercial establishment far from his home has drawn sharp criticism from those familiar with his case. Imran Fazel, a prominent advocate for Rohingya refugees who worked closely with Shah Alam's family, expressed profound devastation and frustration.
"We never imagined anyone could experience something like this in the United States," Fazel stated. "This doesn't make me feel safe in a country that claims to protect human rights. A man who survived genocide and persecution was failed by the very system that should have protected him."
In response to mounting questions, a Border Patrol spokesperson issued a statement Wednesday evening defending the agency's actions. The statement claimed that after determining Shah Alam was not supposed to remain in their custody, agents "offered him a courtesy ride, which he chose to accept to a coffee shop." The Tim Hortons location was allegedly selected because it was "determined to be a warm, safe location near his last known address, rather than be released directly from the Border Patrol station."
The spokesperson further asserted that Shah Alam "showed no signs of distress, mobility issues, or disabilities requiring special assistance" at the time of his release. This characterization directly contradicts accounts from his attorney and community members who were familiar with his severe visual limitations.
The discrepancy between Border Patrol's assessment and the reality of Shah Alam's condition lies at the heart of this controversy. Advocates argue that even brief observation would have revealed his need for assistance, given his reliance on a curtain rod as a mobility aid and his documented status as a refugee with disabilities.
The Rohingya community in Buffalo, though relatively small, has been growing as members of this persecuted Muslim minority from Myanmar seek safety in the United States. Many arrive with significant trauma and health challenges resulting from their experiences. Shah Alam's case highlights the vulnerabilities faced by refugees with disabilities within the U.S. immigration enforcement system.
The Rohingya people have faced systematic persecution in Myanmar for decades, with hundreds of thousands fleeing to neighboring countries and eventually to Western nations seeking asylum. Many Rohingya refugees arrive in the United States with complex health needs, including trauma-related conditions, malnutrition, and untreated chronic illnesses. The community in Buffalo, while small, represents a growing population of resettled refugees trying to rebuild their lives after experiencing some of the world's most severe human rights abuses.
Legal experts note that the practice of releasing individuals at remote locations, while not uncommon, raises ethical questions when dealing with vulnerable populations. The combination of Shah Alam's visual impairment, limited English proficiency, and unfamiliarity with Buffalo's geography created a perfect storm of risk factors that went unrecognized or ignored by officials.
The medical examiner's determination that his death was health-related rather than due to exposure suggests he may have suffered from a medical emergency while attempting to navigate his way home. The five-mile journey would have been challenging even for someone without disabilities, requiring navigation across busy streets and through unfamiliar neighborhoods in winter conditions.
Community members have organized vigils and are calling for a thorough investigation into Border Patrol's protocols for handling vulnerable individuals. They demand answers about why Shah Alam's disability was not properly assessed and why he was not released to family members or community advocates who could have ensured his safe return.
The incident also raises broader questions about inter-agency communication between local law enforcement, county jails, and federal immigration authorities. Despite the plea deal designed to prevent exactly this situation, the contact with Border Patrol initiated a process that circumvented the legal protections put in place by his attorney.
Immigration law specialists point out that the "courtesy ride" practice, while framed as a humanitarian gesture, often serves the agency's convenience rather than the individual's needs. In this case, it appears to have created a dangerous situation for someone clearly unable to navigate independently.
The Broadway-Fillmore neighborhood, where Shah Alam lived, is home to many refugee families who have built a supportive community network. Black Rock, where he was left, is a different area entirely, separated by major thoroughfares and industrial zones. For a man with severe visual impairment, the journey between these locations would be not just difficult but potentially impossible without assistance.
Temperatures in Buffalo during February regularly drop below freezing, and while exposure was ruled out as a cause of death, the stress and exertion of attempting such a journey could certainly exacerbate underlying health conditions. Shah Alam's age and refugee status likely meant he had pre-existing health concerns that went unaddressed during his custody.
Federal guidelines require immigration enforcement agencies to provide "reasonable accommodations" for individuals with disabilities, but advocates say implementation is inconsistent. The Americans with Disabilities Act applies to federal agencies, yet training on identifying and addressing disabilities among immigration detainees remains inadequate. Shah Alam's case may prompt renewed calls for mandatory disability assessments and protocols that prioritize release to family or community organizations rather than public locations.
As the investigation continues, Shah Alam's death serves as a tragic reminder of the gaps in the U.S. immigration system when it comes to protecting the most vulnerable. His journey from persecution in Burma to seeking refuge in America ended not in the safety he sought, but in isolation on a Buffalo street miles from home.
For the Rohingya community and immigrant advocates nationwide, this case represents a failure of basic human dignity. The promise of America as a safe haven for refugees rings hollow when a blind man can be left at a donut shop to find his own way home.
The family, now mourning their loss, is left with questions that may never be fully answered. Why was a man with known disabilities not given proper accommodation? Why did the system designed to process his case fail to protect him? And how many others might face similar risks?
As Buffalo's immigrant communities demand accountability, this tragedy may become a catalyst for policy changes regarding how law enforcement agencies handle vulnerable individuals during release procedures. For now, it stands as a stark illustration of how bureaucratic indifference can have deadly consequences for those who have already survived unimaginable hardship.