Blind refugee found dead in Buffalo after border agents left him at coffee shop – National

A severely visually impaired refugee from Myanmar who went missing after being released from a Buffalo, N.Y., jail into the custody of U.S. border patrol agents was found dead on a downtown street in the city, authorities confirmed.

Nurul Amin Shah Alam, 56, who spoke little English and had been detained at the Erie County holding centre for a year following an arrest on assault, trespassing and possession of a weapon charges in 2025, was released in February after posting bail, The Guardian reported.

The man was detained after he became lost on a walk and stepped onto a woman’s property, who then called the police. Shah Alam was using a curtain rod as a walking stick at the time, his lawyer said, the British outlet reported. When police arrived and Shah Alam reportedly did not follow the officers’ instructions to release the rod, he was tasered and beaten, it added.

After his release, he was handed over to border patrol agents, who then left him at Tim Hortons several kilometres from his home on Feb. 19 without alerting his family or lawyer, according to the Investigative Post, a Buffalo-based non-profit news organization.

A spokesperson for U.S. Customs and Border Protection told the outlet in a statement on Wednesday evening that after determining the man was not supposed to be in their custody, agents “offered him a courtesy ride, which he chose to accept to a coffee shop,” which was a Tim Hortons that was “determined to be a warm, safe location near his last known address.”

Shah Alam was found dead in the street shortly after 8:30 p.m. on Feb. 24.

“Mr. Shah Alam was identified by the Erie County Medical Examiner earlier today, and his family was subsequently notified,” Buffalo City Hall spokesperson Ian Ott told the Investigative Post.

“We are saddened to learn that our client, Nurul Amin Shah Alam, was found deceased last night in the City of Buffalo,” the Legal Aid Bureau of Buffalo said in a Facebook statement on Wednesday.

“We have received several inquiries regarding more information on Mr. Alam. Due to our ethical obligations, we are unable offer any comment at this time,” it continued.

Buffalo Mayor Sean M. Ryan said the treatment of Shah Alam was “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. That decision from U.S. Customs and Border Protection was unprofessional and inhumane,” Ryan continued, adding that Buffalo is a city that welcomes refugees and believes that the government should “protect human dignity.”

News of his death came the same day Buffalo police said it was ceasing a search for Shah Alam.

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