A nearly blind refugee from Myanmar who disappeared after U.S. Border Patrol agents dropped him off at a Buffalo doughnut shop was found dead five days later, setting off an investigation by local police and a public dispute over what officials knew and when. Authorities said Nurul Amin Shah Alam, 56, was detained on Feb. 19 after a release from a county jail, and that federal officials later determined he was not eligible for deportation, according to the account reported by U.S. officials and advocates.
Shah Alam’s family and advocates told officials that they were not informed he had been released. They said Shah Alam’s lawyer reported him missing to the Buffalo Police Department on Feb. 22 after learning that the local immigration detention center did not have him in custody. During the days he was missing, Buffalo saw temperatures fall below freezing and light snow, according to reporting cited by officials and advocates.
Investigators and advocates said Border Patrol agents brought Shah Alam to a Tim Hortons north of Buffalo’s downtown and left him there. They said it was unclear how he then made his way to the area where he was found, and when he died. Shah Alam was found Tuesday night near the downtown sports arena where the NHL’s Buffalo Sabres play, according to authorities.
Buffalo Police Department officials told reporters that the county medical examiner had concluded the death was “health related” and ruled out exposure or homicide. The Erie County Department of Health disputed that account, saying no determination had been made, while detectives continued investigating the events leading up to Shah Alam’s death, including how he traveled after the drop-off.
Mayor Sean Ryan, speaking publicly after the death was reported, blamed the outcome at least partly on what he called a “dereliction of duty” by federal agents. In a statement, Ryan said 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,” adding that the decision by U.S. Customs and Border Protection was “unprofessional and inhumane.” Ryan also said Shah Alam had been wearing orange booties issued by a county holding center instead of proper shoes for winter weather.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection defended the decision. The agency said Border Patrol agents offered Shah Alam a courtesy ride and that he chose to accept it to a coffee shop, which it described as a warm, safe location near his last known address rather than being released directly from the Border Patrol station. The agency said Shah Alam showed no signs of distress, mobility issues, or disabilities requiring special assistance, according to its statement.
Advocates described how Shah Alam had been living with significant mobility limits and said the arrest process that preceded his detention was complicated by language and cultural barriers. Imran Fazal, who said he knows the family and founded the Rohingya Empowerment Community, said Shah Alam arrived in the United States with his wife and two of his children in December 2024 in search of opportunity and had previously worked in construction in Malaysia. Fazal said Shah Alam had been taking shelter from snow near a house and that he cannot walk properly without a cane.
Fazal also described the criminal case that led to Shah Alam’s county jail detention. He said Buffalo police arrested Shah Alam about a year earlier after an incident that resulted in minor injuries to two officers, and he cited Erie County District Attorney Mike Keane’s account that Shah Alam was initially indicted on assault, burglary and criminal mischief charges. Keane said Shah Alam had two metal poles when he approached the officers, according to the account.
According to that reporting, Shah Alam later pleaded guilty Feb. 9 to misdemeanor charges of trespassing and possession of a weapon, and was scheduled to be sentenced in March. Keane said he offered a reduced plea “in the interest of justice,” including to avoid the mandatory deportation that would result from a felony conviction. Fazal said the family was able to post bail and went to the county jail Feb. 19 expecting Shah Alam to be freed, and said federal authorities had lodged an immigration detainer after his arrest.
While the family searched for Shah Alam after learning of the overnight drop-off, U.S. and local officials described the sequence differently. Ryan said Shah Alam was initially taken to an Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility that did not take him. The reporting also said the Erie County Sheriff’s Office informed federal agents after his pending release, following standard practice, because of the immigration detainer.
The death has prompted calls for federal action and possible state review. U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand sent a letter to federal officials demanding a full accounting of the actions taken by agents, and New York Attorney General Letitia James said her office is reviewing its legal options. A family friend and spokesperson for Shah Alam said the family wants justice and said at the funeral that it wants Shah Alam’s death to bring awareness in his community and for those still suffering.