Near-blind refugee found dead in Buffalo after release by US Border Patrol
#refugee death #US Border Patrol #Buffalo #Myanmar #immigration #human rights #law enforcement
📌 Key Takeaways
- Nearly blind refugee found dead after Border Patrol release
- Mayor calls death 'preventable' and result of 'inhumane' decisions
- Border Patrol claims refugee showed no signs of distress when released
- Family states refugee couldn't speak English, read, write, or use electronic devices
📖 Full Retelling
A 56-year-old nearly blind refugee from Myanmar named Nurul Amin Shah Alam was found dead on a downtown street in Buffalo, New York on Tuesday evening, days after being released by US Border Patrol into what authorities described as an unsafe situation, city officials announced on Wednesday. Police officers located Shah Alam's body after he had been missing since February 19, when U.S. Border Patrol agents dropped him off at a coffee shop miles from his home following his release from a county jail where he had spent much of the last year awaiting trial on criminal charges that resulted in a misdemeanor plea deal. Homicide detectives are now investigating the circumstances surrounding his death, with Buffalo Mayor Sean Ryan, a Democrat, calling the incident 'preventable' and the result of 'inhumane' decision-making by federal immigration authorities. The Mayor emphasized that '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,' while U.S. Customs and Border Protection defended their actions, stating agents determined the coffee shop was a warm, safe location near his last known address and that Shah Alam 'showed no signs of distress, mobility issues or disabilities requiring special assistance.' The family revealed that Shah Alam, an Arakan Rohingya refugee, could not read, write, or use electronic devices, and his son Mohamad Faisal claimed the initial arrest was due to a misunderstanding when his father, who was using a curtain rod as a walking stick, failed to understand police commands.
🏷️ Themes
Immigration, Human Rights, Law Enforcement
📚 Related People & Topics
United States Border Patrol
U.S. federal law enforcement agency
The United States Border Patrol (USBP) is a federal law enforcement agency under the United States Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and is responsible for securing the borders of the United States. According to its website as of 2022, its mission is to "Protect the American people, safeguard our ...
Myanmar
Country in Southeast Asia
Myanmar, officially the Republic of the Union of Myanmar and also referred to as Burma (the official English name until 1989), is a country in northwest Southeast Asia. It is the largest country by area in Mainland Southeast Asia and has a population of about 55 million. It is bordered by India and ...
Entity Intersection Graph
No entity connections available yet for this article.
Original Source
try{ var _=i o; . if(!_||_&&typeof _==="object"&&_.expiry Nasdaq ends more than 1% higher as Nvidia rises pre-earnings, tech extends rebound Gold prices head for fifth day of gains in six; JPMorgan sees more upside Nvidia’s results beat estimates, but Wall Street wants more cash return Nvidia set to report strong results and guidance, analysts say (South Africa Philippines Nigeria) Near-blind refugee found dead in Buffalo after release by US Border Patrol By Reuters World Published 02/25/2026, 10:00 PM Updated 02/25/2026, 10:06 PM Near-blind refugee found dead in Buffalo after release by US Border Patrol 0 By Jan Wolfe and Kristina Cooke Feb 25 - A nearly blind refugee from Myanmar missing since his release from a Buffalo jail into the custody of U.S. Border Patrol has been found dead on a downtown street, city authorities said on Wednesday. Police officers in the upstate New York city located the body of Nurul Amin Shah Alam, 56, on Tuesday evening, a Buffalo Police Department spokesperson said. Shah Alam had been missing since February 19, when U.S. Border Patrol agents dropped him off at a coffee shop miles from his home following his release from a county jail, where he had spent much of the last year awaiting trial on criminal charges that resulted in a misdemeanor plea deal. Homicide detectives are investigating the circumstances of Shah Alam’s death, the spokesperson said. Buffalo Mayor Sean Ryan, a Democrat, said in a statement Wednesday that Shah Alam’s death was preventable and the result of "inhumane" decision-making by federal immigration authorities. "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. "That decision from U.S. Customs and Border Protection was unprofessional and inhumane." A CBP spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for comment. In a statement to Investigative Post, a Buffalo-based news outlet, a CBP...
Read full article at source