Nearly Blind Rohingya Refugee Found Dead Days After Border Patrol Drop-Off
Released Feb. 19 at a closed Tim Hortons, Nurul Amin Shah Alam was found dead on Feb. 24, prompting calls for investigation into federal release procedures for vulnerable detainees.
Associated PressVideo shows nearly blind refugee being released by Border Patrol, 5 days before his death
ReasonBlind refugee found dead 5 days after release from border patrol custody in Buffalo
CNNKey questions surround the death of a nearly blind refugee after he was dropped off at a coffee shop alone | CNN
Daily BeastBorder Patrol’s Shameful Lies About Leaving Blind Man to Die Exposed
Overview
Nurul Amin Shah Alam, 56, was found dead on Feb. 24 in downtown Buffalo, five days after Border Patrol agents dropped him at a Tim Hortons on Feb. 19.
Customs and Border Protection said Shah Alam entered as a refugee on Dec. 24, 2024, was placed in Border Patrol custody on Feb. 19 after posting bond, and was later found not amenable to removal.
Buffalo Mayor Sean Ryan called Customs and Border Protection's actions a "dereliction of duty," Gov. Kathy Hochul demanded "accountability," and Sen. Chuck Schumer sought an independent investigation.
Legal Aid Bureau of Buffalo said Shah Alam was nearly blind, spoke little English, could not use a phone, and his lawyer reported him missing on Feb. 22.
Buffalo police are reviewing city surveillance footage, the Erie County medical examiner is investigating cause and manner of death, and officials released body-camera footage of Shah Alam's 2025 arrest.
Analysis
Center-leaning sources frame the story as a systemic failure by DHS and Border Patrol, foregrounding emotional and investigatory elements (video footage, family posters) and officials' condemnations while connecting the case to broader immigration policy. Editorial choices—selective emphasis, loaded verbs like dereliction and sequencing—create a narrative of institutional negligence; quoted statements remain source content.
FAQ
On February 19, 2026, after posting bond and being released from Erie County Holding Center, nearly blind Rohingya refugee Nurul Amin Shah Alam was taken into Border Patrol custody and dropped off alone at a closed Tim Hortons on Niagara Street in Buffalo's Black Rock neighborhood around 8 p.m., about 5 miles from his home.
Nurul Amin Shah Alam, 56, was a Rohingya refugee from Burma who entered the U.S. legally on December 24, 2024, fleeing genocide. He was nearly blind, spoke no English, lived in Buffalo with his wife and two sons, and had been arrested in February 2025 for using a curtain rod as a walking stick.
Buffalo Mayor Sean Ryan called it a 'dereliction of duty'; Gov. Kathy Hochul demanded accountability; Sen. Chuck Schumer sought an independent investigation; NY AG Letitia James is reviewing legal options; Rep. Tim Kennedy requested a state investigation; National Federation of the Blind issued a statement.
Buffalo police are reviewing surveillance footage; Erie County medical examiner is determining cause and manner of death; NY AG is reviewing legal options; Rep. Kennedy requested a state investigation; family and lawyer reported him missing on Feb. 22.
