February 27, 2026
US Border Patrol is facing renewed backlash following the death of a near-blind refugee who was reportedly left miles from his Buffalo, New York, home in below-freezing temperatures.
The United States Border Protection is facing renewed backlash after a nearly blind Rohingya refugee from Myanmar was found dead in Buffalo, New York, days after authorities reportedly left him miles from his home following his release from a county jail.
Many are expressing outrage over the death of Nurul Amin Shah Alam, 56, whose body was discovered by police in Buffalo on Feb. 24, Al Jazeera reports. Shah Alam had been missing since Feb. 19, when Border Patrol agents reportedly dropped him off at a coffee shop after his release from a county jail.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection claims that Shah Alam was offered a ride, “which he chose to accept to a coffee shop, determined to be a warm, safe location near his last known address, rather than be released directly from the Border Patrol station.” However, surveillance footage reportedly shows the shop was closed when he was dropped off in below-freezing temperatures.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection confirmed that Shah Alam entered the United States as a refugee in December 2024 and “was not amenable to removal,” meaning he could not be deported. Mohamad Faisal, one of Shah Alam’s children, said the family is Rohingya refugees from Arakan State, officially known as Rakhine State, in Myanmar, and noted that as a refugee, his father was unable to read, write, or use electronic devices.
He added that neither the family nor their attorney was informed where authorities had left his father following his release from jail. Buffalo Mayor Sean Ryan has since spoken out, calling Shah Alam’s death preventable and “deeply disturbing and a dereliction of duty by the U.S. Customs and Border Protection.”
“A vulnerable man — nearly blind and unable to speak English — was left alone on a cold winter night with no known attempt to leave him in a safe, secure location,” Ryan said, adding that CBP’s behavior in the incident was “unprofessional and inhumane.”
Shah Alam’s death has intensified mounting concerns over the treatment of immigrants in ICE and CBP custody. At least six immigrants have died while in U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody since the start of the year. A spokesperson for the Buffalo Police Department said homicide detectives are investigating the circumstances surrounding his death.
Several members of Congress have called for a federal inquiry, including Grace Meng, who described the situation as a “shocking breach of responsibility and basic humanity by federal enforcement.” New York Gov. Kathy Hochul also demanded accountability and an independent investigation, stating that “a blind father was released from federal custody and left alone on the street to find his way home. He never made it back to his family.”
“No one should disappear at the hands of the government,” she added.
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