Killing of Nurul Amin Shah Alam

Killing of Nurul Amin Shah Alam
Missing person poster of Shah Alam
DateFebruary 19–24, 2026 (2026-02-19 – 2026-02-24)
Location
Deaths1
Involved agencyUnited States Border Patrol

Nurul Amin Shah Alam (January 1, 1970 – February 24, 2026)[1] was a nearly blind 56-year-old Rohingya refugee who died after United States Border Patrol agents dropped him off on the streets of Buffalo, New York, on the night of February 19, 2026. Shah Alam was left at a closed Tim Hortons coffee shop in near-freezing temperatures. He was found dead on February 24. The county medical examiner found his death resulted from complications brought on by hypothermia and dehydration and ruled his death a homicide on April 1, 2026, which means it resulted from another person's actions or inaction but is not a determination that it was a crime: that judgement belongs to the courts of law.

The Trump administration announced it was not to blame due to how much time had passed between Shah Alam's contact with Border Patrol and his death. The administration instead drew attention to how it had gone to the trouble of giving Shah Alam a courtesy ride.

Background

Part of the persecuted Arakan Rohingya minority of Myanmar, Shah Alam was from Maungdaw, Rakhine State. He was a subsistence farmer, also working on rice fields and at a fishery before the State Peace and Development Council subjected him and other Rohingya to forced labor.[2] Shah Alam and his family fled to Bangladesh for two years in the 90s.[3][4] In 2002[4][5] or 2003,[2] Shah Alam fled to Malaysia, working in a refugee camp in construction and as a blacksmith to earn enough money to pay for his family's travel expenses. By 2013, Shah Alam's pregnant wife and all of their children had been brought over, but they lacked the documents to gain Malaysian citizenship.[2][5][6][7]

In 2015, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees arranged for Shah Alam's resettlement to the United States, but he declined the offer as it did not extend to his adult children. In 2024, the US government under the Biden administration agreed to allow Shah Alam's eldest three sons into the country as well. Shah Alam, his wife, and their two youngest children arrived in Buffalo on December 24, 2024.[2] They have legal refugee status.[8] He couldn't understand English, had trouble walking[9] and used a cane.[8][10] His son told Reuters Shah Alam did not read, write, or use electronics.[3] He was nearly blind:[3][11] CNN cited eyesight and knee problems in recent years;[12] The Guardian wrote he lost much of his sight in a childhood accident.[4] The New York Times specified that Shah Alam had been poked in the left eye with a stick as an infant.[2] His attorney told Investigative Post, a local news nonprofit, that he was completely blind in one eye and had blurry vision for several feet in the other.[13]

On February 15, 2025, Shah Alam was arrested by Buffalo police. According to police documents, Shah Alam unlawfully entered a fenced rear yard while holding two long black poles, caused an estimated $200 damage to a shed door, and allowed the owner's dog to escape through an open gate.[1] Police body camera footage shows police officers repeatedly telling him to drop the poles to the ground[14] and him repeatedly saying "sorry"[15] (or "OK sorry").[12] WGRZ said that Shah Alam eventually waves the poles in the air in the direction of the officer, and the police fire their tasers, tackle him to the ground, and handcuff him;[14] the BBC said that when Shah Alam does not drop the rods after repeated requests, the officers deploy tasers and he walks forward swinging the rods until an officer wrestles him to the ground.[15] According to police documents, Shah Alam bites both officers in the struggle.[1] Afterwards, the officers are unable to communicate with him because of the language barrier.[14] According to The Washington Post, speaking in Rohingya and Malay he asked for God's help, tried to explain he lives nearby and was going to the store, and pleaded with the officers not to throw away his phone.[16] The only English words he speaks are "OK", as well as "I love you" which he sings from the back of an ambulance as he is taken to Erie County Medical Center.[14] He was charged with two counts[1] of felony assault and eight lesser charges,[17] listed in police records as two counts of menacing in the second degree with a weapon, two counts of criminal possession of weapon with intent to use, criminal trespass in the third degree, criminal mischief, resisting arrest, and obstructing governmental administration in the second degree.[1]

According to Shah Alam's family, the event was a misunderstanding; Shah Alam had become lost, was using a curtain rod as a walking stick, and did not respond to police because he did not understand English.[3] He was held at the Erie County Holding Center awaiting trial for nearly a year. His family did not post bail for fear he would disappear into immigration custody, opting to keep him in the jail where they could visit him.[18] On February 9, 2026, Shah Alam pled guilty to a misdemeanor plea deal[15] that would avoid deportation, according to Erie County District Attorney Michael J. Keane.[12][19] Advised by a lawyer that it was safe, his family posted bail.[12] United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) had issued an immigration detainer, a formal request to take custody of a noncitizen after his release from criminal detention, so the sheriff's office contacted Border Patrol,[3] who arrived before his release was finalized.[10]

Killing

According to reports received by the Buffalo Police Department, Shah Alam was released from Erie County Holding Center to federal authorities on February 19, 2026, around 4:30 pm.[1] Border Patrol detained him briefly before determining he was not eligible for deportation.[20] According to a federal official Border Patrol attempted to communicate with Shah Alam using a translator program, and he was offered the opportunity to make a phone call, which he declined, and asked to be taken to the location where he was eventually dropped off.[12] United States Customs and Border Protection (CBP) later told media that Shah Alam chose to accept a "courtesy ride" to a Tim Hortons in the Black Rock neighborhood, rather than be directly released from the holding center, and was released at what was "determined to be a warm, safe location near his last known address" and "showed no signs of distress, mobility issues or disabilities requiring special assistance".[10]

Surveillance footage obtained by Investigative Post shows Shah Alam being brought out of the Border Patrol van around 8:18 pm, when only the drive-thru was open. The footage shows him pacing in front of the locked doors. The van leaves one minute after he was dropped off. Six minutes after he was dropped off he walks through the parking lot away from the building.[16][21][22]

Shah Alam's family and attorney weren't notified of his release.[4][20] Federal officials are not legally required to do so.[23][24] His family had expected to walk him out of jail,[11] and his wife had set his clothes out for him and bought ingredients for his favorite foods.[9] His family and lawyer began a search for him including the federal immigration detention center in Batavia, New York, where it was thought ICE may have been detaining him, and the neighborhood Shah Alam lived in when he was detained.[11][25] Shah Alam's family no longer lived at their old address, which according to the Investigative Post was approximately a mile from the Tim Hortons,[26] or that part of the city but in Broadway-Fillmore on the East Side, some five miles away.[21][27] While he was missing, temperatures fell from nearly freezing[12] to below freezing and light snow fell.[8] Shah Alam had thin[9] county-issued jail booties for shoes.[20]

Shah Alam's attorney reported him missing to police on February 22, after learning the federal center did not have him in custody.[11] The police closed the case on February 23, thinking Shah Alam was in federal custody, and reopened it some four hours later.[17] Police learned on February 24 where Shah Alam had been dropped off, and outreach to family and neighbors and searches of shelters, hospitals, and the general area were carried out.[1] At 8:29 pm on February 24, a woman placed a 911 call reporting an unmoving man on Perry Street, a six and a half mile drive away from the Tim Hortons,[8] after seeing him alive there earlier that day around 5:30 pm; the man, identified as Shah Alam on February 25, was pronounced deceased by authorities on scene.[1]

Investigations

On March 31, the Erie County Medical Examiner's Office determined Shah Alam died of "complications of a perforated duodenal ulcer precipitated by hypothermia and dehydration", and that the death was a homicide, clarifying that homicide indicated the death was the result of the action or inaction of others but did not imply intent to cause harm or death. A manner of death ruling for the purpose of vital statistics is not a legal one, nor does it indicate a crime was committed: that responsibility belongs to the legal system. The family was notified and a public statement made on April 1.[28]

Erie County Commissioner of Health Dr. Grace Burstein explained that under severe strain of hypothermia and dehydration, Shah Alam's body cut back blood flow to his gastrointestinal system, compromising it, and overproduced stomach acid. Acid passed into his duodenum, the first section of the small intestine, bore into the weakened intestinal wall and breached it, allowing acid and other digestive fluids to spill into the peritoneum. This was a perforated ulcer, a life-threatening medical emergency, and without urgent surgical repair Shah Alam died.[29] Dr. Burstein said that a symptom is severe pain.[9] An attorney representing Shah Alam's family said the medical examiner's report report confirms Shah Alam was placed in a hostile environment from which he could not reasonably be expected to extricate himself and added that it showed evidence of starvation, ketoacidosis.[30][31]

Police at first wrongly reported the death was health-related and that exposure and homicide had been ruled out, based, they later said, on homicide detectives' preliminary notes at the autopsy.[32][33]

The Buffalo Police Department announced an investigation into Shah Alam's death.[10] The Erie Country District Attorney's Office began an investigation.[34][35] New York Attorney General Letitia James said in a statement her office "is reviewing our legal options".[10]

Attorney General James also informed representative Kennedy that she was reviewing Shah Alam's release from the holding center, the five days he was missing, and the Border Patrol's "unreliable account". The Buffalo News observed that convening a preliminary assessment fell short of an official investigation.[36]

Broader concerns

The Guardian wrote that Shah Alam's death "raised urgent questions" about the detention and release of immigrants under the Trump administration, and that advocates say it "reflects broader concerns" about "whether detainees are released without coordination, safeguards, or basic communication with their families". The Independent said it had outraged advocates who had "raised alarms for months" about the administration's "treatment of vulnerable immigrants, refugees and their families".[18] CNN wrote of highlighted "growing concerns" over "the constitutional rights and treatment of people who come in contact with federal agents, regardless of their immigration status" amidst the administration's mass deportation efforts; this passage also linked to a CNN story about legal migrants detained in Minnesota and released in Texas without money, identification or phones.[10][37]

The Guardian cited Michelle Brané, executive director of NGO Together and Free and former DHS immigration detention ombudsman, as saying that there were established procedures for a safe release at no additional cost or effort. She described alarm among advocates and former officials at "the recent surge in detainees being released in unfamiliar or unsafe locations" and that "We're seeing cases where people are simply left on their own", without coordination with family members, being allowed to arrange a pickup, and in some cases, without a phone call to family or a friend.[4]

Reactions

Community

Shah Alam's funeral was held at a local mosque, Masjid Zakariya, on February 26, 2026.[10] A procession led to a cemetery where approximately 100 mourners gathered. Later in the day a gathering was held to honor him and show support for his family.[38] Two days later, on February 28, a protest called Rally for Justice was held at Niagara Square in front of Buffalo City Hall. Upwards of 100 demonstrators including State Assembly members Crystal Peoples-Stokes and Jonathan Rivera called for a transparent investigation of the actions of Border Patrol and Erie County Sheriff's Office and advocated for the passage of the New York for All Act, which would prevent local governments or law enforcement from directly supporting federal agencies conducting civil immigration enforcement activities.[39][40] Signs referenced Shah Alam in the local March 2026 No Kings protest.[41]

Officials

Buffalo Mayor Sean M. Ryan called the death "deeply disturbing and a dereliction of duty" and "unprofessional and inhumane". Ryan said that CBP "must answer for how and why this happened"[42] and noted that had Border Patrol taken Shah Alam back to the holding center, they could have obtained phone numbers for his son and lawyer, both of whom had been active visitors. He used Shah Alam's death to argue for his recent city policy instructing the Buffalo police department not to cooperate with the United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS), which Border Patrol and ICE are a part of, in matters of civil immigration enforcement.[43] Erie County executive Mark Poloncarz said "This should not have happened" in a news conference.[23] Asked if Border Patrol was responsible for Shah Alah's death, he said that determination would be up to law enforcement.[20]

Senator Kirsten Gillibrand sent a letter to federal officials demanding a full accounting of the actions of federal agents.[11] New York Governor Kathy Hochul called for a full investigation,[8] as did as did senator Chuck Schumer on X[21] and representatives Tim Kennedy (26th district) and Grace Meng (6th district) in a statement.[44][45] Kennedy sent a letter to New York Attorney General James formally requesting a state investigation,[46] and with Meng and representatives Bennie Thompson and Jamie Raskin, one demanding a federal investigation to Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem.[39]

At a Senate Judiciary Committee oversight hearing on March 3, California senator Alex Padilla accused Homeland Security Secretary Noem of lying about the case and told Noem that she should resign, the president should fire her, or that the senate should impeach her.[47] On March 4, during a House Judiciary Committee oversight hearing New York representative Jerry Nadler and Maryland representative Raskin questioned and criticized Noem over the department's handling of the case. Separately, Tim Kennedy called on the house floor for Noem to investigate the events surrounding Shah Alam's death.[48] When Noem was replaced by Markwayne Mullin, Kennedy reiterated this to him.[49]

Governor Hochul met with Shah Alam's widow, Fatimah Abdul Roshid,[50] who asked for help reunifying with her sons who were in Malaysia. Hochul subsequently met with border czar Tom Homan to advocate for temporary visas for the request.[51][52] Calling Border Patrol's actions cruel and depraved, Hochul called for the passage of her recent proposal that would allow New Yorkers to sue federal agents who violate their constitutional rights.[50][53] Politico later wrote that Shah Alam's death "further inflamed" Hochul and other state officials in their (politically expedient) push, including the proposal, for federal guardrails.[53]

Family

In her public remarks, Shah Alam's widow called her husband "home".[12] She spoke of having wished to feed him with her two hands to show her love, and grief that she could not be with him as he died.[5] His son expressed shock that this could happen in the United States of America.[4] They described him as kind and loving,[4] generous despite having little,[7] calm and collected,[12] with a sense of levity. His widow relayed the shock of friends overseas that the man who helped anyone who had less would end up with no one during his last breath.[7] Shah Alam's family related how he worked for to educate his children and unify his family in Malaysia, where they were safe but their prospects limited. After years of vetting they were granted refugee status, making them eligible for third-country resettlement. Shah Alam turned down opportunities to come to America because it might split his family, until he received assurance that they could all come, though not at the same time. After two more years of vetting the parents and two of their five children arrived in Buffalo. His son dreamed of becoming an engineer, and making sure his younger brother became someone so that they could give back to society. The family had a dream of performing the Hajj together. Three weeks later President Trump was inaugurated again and suspended refugee resettlement indefinitely, stopping Shah Alam's three older sons, married with children in Malaysia and with their immigrantion paperwork already approved, from coming to the US.[4] His widow expressed her desire for the rest of her family to join her so that they could grieve together.[7] The New York Times and The Guardian wrote of fear among the estimated 2000 Rohingya in Buffalo, most of whom had fled the Rohingya genocide that began in 2016.[4][5] A family described feeling unsafe to CNN.[10]

Trump administration

CBP[15][54] and DHS[55][56] announced "This death had NOTHING to do with Border Patrol" as "Mr. Shah Alam passed almost A WEEK AFTER he was released by Border Patrol". They called his case "another hoax being peddled by the media and sanctuary politicians to demonise our law enforcement". DHS went on to blame representative Nadler for pushing a hoax and add that Shah Alam "also had a serial violent criminal rap sheet", listing the charges from his arrest.[55][56] Federal officials referred inquiries to DHS's statement.[4]

DHS also drew attention to how Shah Alam had accepted a courtesy ride, "a ride that did not have to be provided".[12][57] DHS asked: "Would the Washington Post have rather us force him to find transportation from the station after his arrest by local police?"[57] CNN cited an immigration attorney as saying courtesy rides are not uncommon, and that agents are supposed to make sure the drop-off location is safe and determine if the person needs any accommodations.[12]

When asked, a CBP spokesman declined to amend the statement that the Tim Hortons was "warm, safe location" in light of security footage of Shah Alam walking away from the darkened building.[50]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 City of Buffalo Police Department (February 26, 2026). "Buffalo Police Incident Timeline of Shah Alam Death". Retrieved February 27, 2026 – via documentcloud.org.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 Barry, Dan; Bannon, Brendan (May 12, 2026). "Where Was Nurul Amin Shah Alam?". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 Wolfe, Jan; Cooke, Kristina (February 25, 2026). "Near-blind refugee found dead in Buffalo after release by US Border Patrol". Reuters.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Darjee, Lok (April 6, 2026). "'It broke our home': family demands answers after death of man abandoned by US border agents". The Guardian. Retrieved April 28, 2026.
  5. 1 2 3 4 Sommer, Mark (March 15, 2026). "A Refugee Died After Border Agents Left Him at a Cafe. Fear Followed". The New York Times. Retrieved April 27, 2026.
  6. ↑ Tsujimoto, Ben (February 28, 2026). "Rohingya refugee family describes military persecution in Myanmar". The Buffalo News (Embedded video). Iman Fazal [translating for Fatima Abdul Roshid]: And also, like, my husband had to do a lot of physical labor for the military when he was in Burma. […] the military come to our village, like, y'know, they would come, they would look for men, like, y'know, the young men or older men. So, if they find anybody, they will take them. You don't have a choice […] So they will take them to the military base. They make them do whatever they want. They don't get paid, y'know, there's no, like, y'know, doctor's, there is no treatment […] if you die, no one cares. You die. So when they come to our village, everybody gets […] scared, y'know, we used to hide in the back of the house, back of the wall, wherever we could […]
  7. 1 2 3 4 Tsujimoto, Ben (February 28, 2026). "Family of Rohingya refugee describes grief, desire to be reunited with relatives". The Buffalo News. Retrieved May 31, 2026.
  8. 1 2 3 4 5 "Officials demand answers after disabled refugee is found dead in Buffalo". Spectrum News Buffalo. February 26, 2026. Retrieved February 27, 2026.
  9. 1 2 3 4 Ley, Ana (April 1, 2026). "Medical Examiner Rules That a Rohingya Refugee's Death Was a Homicide". The New York Times. Retrieved April 24, 2026.
  10. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Park, Hanna; Ebrahimji, Alisha; Hammond, Elise (February 26, 2026). "Nearly blind refugee found dead in New York days after immigration agents dropped him at a coffee shop alone, officials say". CNN. Retrieved February 27, 2026.
  11. 1 2 3 4 5 Hill, Michael; Offenhartz, Jake (February 26, 2026). "A nearly blind refugee is found dead after Border Patrol agents drop him at Buffalo doughnut shop". AP News. Retrieved February 27, 2026.
  12. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Park, Hanna; Ebrahimji, Alisha; Hammond, Elise (March 1, 2026). "Key questions surround the death of a nearly blind refugee after he was dropped off at a coffee shop alone". CNN. Retrieved April 5, 2026.
  13. ↑ Rahman, Billal (February 26, 2026). "Nearly Blind Refugee Found Dead in Buffalo After Border Patrol Release". Newsweek. Retrieved April 27, 2026.
  14. 1 2 3 4 Gallagher, Tommy (February 26, 2026). "Police video reveals tense arrest of refugee recently found dead in Buffalo". WGRZ. Retrieved March 21, 2026.
  15. 1 2 3 4 Moench, Mallory (April 2, 2026). "Refugee's death after release by US immigration authorities ruled homicide". BBC. Retrieved April 21, 2026.
  16. 1 2 Hill, Evan; Slate, Joanna (February 26, 2026). "Refugee released by Border Patrol found dead, sparking outrage". The Washington Post. Retrieved May 1, 2026. Security camera footage […] shows a white van arrive at the shopping plaza after 8 p.m., more than an hour after the store closed for the night, […] (The drive-through is open 24 hours.) A man emerges from the rear door of the van wearing clothes that match the ones Shah Alam was wearing when he was arrested, as well as orange booties sometimes worn by prisoners. The man walks slowly by the coffee shop's drive-through window, pulling the black hood of his jacket up over his head. Around six minutes after being let out of the van, the man walks away through a parking lot then disappears from view. The video never shows him entering the coffee shop.

    […] In the footage, Shah Alam can be heard speaking in Rohingya and Malay. He asks for God's help and tries to explain to the uncomprehending officers that he lives nearby and was going to the store. He pleads with the officers not to throw away his phone.
  17. 1 2 WKBW News Staff (February 27, 2026). "New details released that provide a timeline of events following death of Nurul Amin Shah Alam". WKBW News Buffalo. Retrieved April 25, 2026.
  18. 1 2 Woodward, Alex (April 3, 2026). "Border Patrol left refugee in 'hostile environment' before he died in the cold, family attorney says". The Independent. Retrieved May 21, 2026. His bail was lowered to $5,000, but Shah Alam's family decided to keep him in the jail where they could visit him, fearing that Immigration and Customs Enforcement would pick him up and send him to a detention center outside of Buffalo, or deport him.
  19. ↑ WKBW news staff (February 27, 2026). "Man reported missing by Buffalo police found dead on Perry Street". WKBW News Buffalo. Retrieved May 4, 2026.
  20. 1 2 3 4 Peltz, Jennifer; Offenhartz, Jake (April 1, 2026). "Death of a refugee left at a Buffalo doughnut shop by Border Patrol is ruled a homicide". ABC News. Archived from the original on April 2, 2026. Retrieved April 23, 2026.
  21. 1 2 3 Rahman, Khaleda (February 27, 2026). "New Details Emerge On Refugee Who Died After Border Patrol Release". Newsweek. Retrieved May 1, 2026. Shah Alam is seen being let out of the van and walking by the drive-thru window. He walks back and forth near the locked front door of the store before walking through the parking lot. The Border Patrol van left a minute after agents dropped him off. […] The family live in the Broadway-Fillmore neighborhood, about five miles from where Shah Alam was dropped off.
  22. ↑ Woodward, Alex (February 27, 2026). "Timeline of a tragedy: Video reveals Border agents leaving near-blind refugee on New York street before he died in the cold". The Independent. Retrieved June 6, 2026. The van leaves one minute after dropping him off. He walks slowly past the coffee shop's drive-through window, which was open, and pulls the black hood of his jacket over his head […] Footage does not show him trying to enter. Six minutes after leaving the van, the man walks away through a parking lot then disappears from view.
  23. 1 2 The Associated Press (April 2, 2026). "Death of near-blind refugee — left at closed Tim Hortons by U.S. Border Patrol — ruled a homicide". CBC News. Retrieved April 25, 2026. His family, which had been awaiting his release from jail, wasn't informed of it, though local immigration advocates have previously said that Border Patrol isn't legally required to do so.
  24. ↑ Thomson Reuters (February 26, 2026). "Police investigating Myanmar refugee's death after his release from U.S. federal immigration custody". CBC News. Retrieved July 9, 2026. A Buffalo-area immigration lawyer told WGRZ that federal officials are not required to notify families when they release adults from custody.
  25. ↑ Simone, Alex; Zunner, Ryan (February 26, 2026). "Refugee who died after Border Patrol release laid to rest as family calls for justice". Buffalo-Toronto Public Media.
  26. ↑ BTPM staff (February 26, 2026). "More than 5 miles between reported drop-off point and where Shah Alam was found". Buffalo-Toronto Public Media.
  27. ↑ Besecker, Aaron (March 24, 2026). "Kennedy again calls on Homeland Security to investigate death of Rohingya refugee". The Buffalo News. Retrieved April 29, 2026. The Tim Hortons on Niagara Street was several miles from Shah Alam's home on the city's East Side.
  28. ↑ "Erie County provides statement regarding the Medical Examiner's Office investigation on the death of Nurul Amin Shah Alam | Erie County Dept of Health". Erie County (Press release). Retrieved April 1, 2026.
  29. ↑ Besecker, Aaron (April 1, 2026). "Medical examiner: Refugee Nurul Amin Shah Alam's death ruled a homicide". The Buffalo News (Embedded video). Retrieved May 6, 2026.
  30. ↑ Besecker, Aaron (April 1, 2026). "Medical examiner: Refugee Nurul Amin Shah Alam's death ruled a homicide". The Buffalo News. Retrieved May 6, 2026. Terrence M. Connors, an attorney representing Shah Alam's family also released a statement, which quoted the medical report. "The report of the medical examiner confirmed our understanding that Mr. Alam was placed in a 'hostile environment from which it could not be expected that he could extricate himself,' " he said. "We intend to focus on the failures so this never happens to anyone else."
  31. ↑ Harris, Jon (April 3, 2026). "Before death, refugee Nurul Amin Shah Alam faced 'tragic and difficult five days'". The Buffalo News. Retrieved May 6, 2026. Connors said the autopsy report noted that Shah Alam was "placed into a hostile environment that he could not reasonably be expected to extricate himself from." "We are looking closely at the failures that placed him in this hostile environment and resulted in his tragic and difficult five days in the cold weather, resulting in the drop in his body temperature below 95 degrees, as well as evidence of dehydration and evidence of starvation, ketoacidosis," Connors said Thursday.
  32. ↑ Becker, Maki (March 2, 2026). "Questions remain in death of partially blind refugee, Nurul Amin Shah Alam". WKBW News Buffalo. Retrieved May 3, 2026.
  33. ↑ Tsujimoto, Ben (February 27, 2026). "Nearly blind refugee's cause of death still pending, Erie County Department of Health says". The Buffalo News. Retrieved May 4, 2026.
  34. ↑ Becker, Maki (April 3, 2026). "Family attorney reacts to Nurul Amin Shah Alam's death being ruled a homicide". WKBW News Buffalo. Retrieved July 12, 2026. The Erie County District Attorney's Office is investigating the death, and the New York State Attorney General's Office is reviewing the case.
  35. ↑ "Erie County officials discuss medical examiner's ruling in refugee's death". WGRZ (Video/Press conference). YouTube. April 1, 2026. Retrieved July 12, 2026. [4m 11s] Mark Poloncarz: "I have spoken to the Erie County District Attorney as well as the New York State Attorney General. I do know that both of them are reviewing the matter [...]
  36. ↑ Tsujimoto, Ben (March 6, 2026). "State Attorney General's Office to review death of Rohingya refugee". The Buffalo News. Retrieved March 4, 2026.
  37. ↑ Sanchez, Ray; Alvarez, Priscilla (January 30, 2026). "They were asylum seekers and refugees in Minnesota. Still, ICE detained and flew them to Texas to face deportation". CNN. Retrieved June 26, 2026. Dozens of asylum seekers […] as well as refugees who passed a rigorous, years-long vetting process before being admitted to the United States, have been arrested in Minnesota in recent weeks […] Some […] have been released in Texas without money, identification or phones.
  38. ↑ Becker, Maki; Kassahun, Pheben (February 27, 2026). "Community mourns man who was found dead after he was mistakenly taken into custody by CBP, then released". WKBW 7 News Buffalo. Retrieved April 27, 2026.
  39. 1 2 Williams, Deidre (February 28, 2026). "'We have a lot of soul-searching to do': Protesters call for change after death of refugee in Buffalo". The Buffalo News. Retrieved May 4, 2026.
  40. ↑ Staff, WKBW News (March 1, 2026). "Rally for justice in Buffalo following death of refugee Nurul Amin Shah Alam". WKBW 7 News Buffalo. Retrieved March 8, 2026.
  41. ↑ Gallagher, Tommy (March 28, 2026). "'No Kings' protest draws crowds to Niagara Square; millions rally nationwide". WGRZ. Retrieved April 27, 2026.
  42. ↑ Ryan, Sean M. (February 25, 2026). "Statement from Mayor Sean M. Ryan on Death of Nurul Amin Shah Alam". www.buffalony.gov (Press release). Retrieved February 27, 2026.
  43. ↑ Gee, Derek (February 26, 2026). "Mayor Ryan says refugee death reaffirms city policy to not cooperate with DHS". The Buffalo News. Retrieved April 28, 2026.
  44. ↑ Kennedy, Timothy M. (February 25, 2026). "Statement from Congressman Kennedy on Death of Nurul Amin Shah Alam". U.S. Congressman Timothy M. Kennedy (Press release). Retrieved May 4, 2026.
  45. ↑ Kennedy, Timothy M. (February 25, 2026). "Joint Statement from CAPAC Chair Grace Meng and Rep. Tim Kennedy on Death of Nurul Amin Shah Alam". U.S. Congressman Timothy M. Kennedy (Press release). Retrieved May 4, 2026.
  46. ↑ "Congressman Kennedy Formally Requests State Investigation into the Death of Nurul Amin Shah Alam". U.S. Congressman Timothy M. Kennedy (Press release). February 26, 2026. Retrieved February 27, 2026.
  47. ↑ "WATCH: Padilla Presses Noem for Accountability for DHS' Cruel Immigration Enforcement". Alex Padilla, U.S. Senator for California (Press release). March 3, 2026. Padilla called on Noem to resign, be fired, or be impeached by the House for her failed leadership of the Department. [...] And just last week, DHS lied yet again about abandoning a Rohingya refugee, a nearly blind man who couldn't speak or understand English in the parking lot of a closed coffee shop, only for him to die in the freezing streets of Buffalo."
  48. ↑ Besecker, Aaron (March 5, 2026). "Before her firing, Kristi Noem faced questions about refugee who died in Buffalo". The Buffalo News. Retrieved May 5, 2026. During the oversight hearing in the House, Rep. Jerry Nadler, D-N.Y., cited the death of Nurul Amin Shah Alam among a series of incidents of reported misconduct by federal agents.[…] Rep. Jamie Raskin […] addressed Shah Alam's death during his opening statement […] "Last month, your agents picked up Nurul Shah Alam, a severely disabled and nearly blind Rohingya refugee lawfully in America, who didn't speak English," Raskin said. "You claimed your agents dropped him at a safe, warm location. Again, not the truth," Raskin said. "They dropped him off miles from his home in the dark, at a closed coffee shop in subfreezing temperatures, and now, because of this cruelty, this man, too, is dead." […] Rep. Tim Kennedy […] also took to the House floor […] to call for an independent investigation into Shah Alam's death. Kennedy last week joined with other House Democrats in sending a letter to Noem demanding a federal investigation.
  49. ↑ Besecker, Aaron (March 24, 2026). "Kennedy again calls on Homeland Security to investigate death of Rohingya refugee". The Buffalo News. Retrieved March 4, 2026. Kennedy, D-Buffalo, sent a letter Tuesday to Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin, whom the Senate confirmed Monday night, requesting an "immediate, transparent and complete investigation" into Shah Alam's death.

    […] In his latest letter, Kennedy said Homeland Security has not provided lawmakers the information they requested nor initiated an investigation.
  50. 1 2 3 Gavin, Robert (March 5, 2026). "Hochul says NY law should allow family of refugee who died to sue feds". The Buffalo News. Retrieved July 13, 2026. Gov. Kathy Hochul on Thursday said the family of refugee Nurul Amin Shah Alam should be allowed to sue the Trump administration in state court […] In keeping with a proposal in her $263 billion budget, Hochul said state law should allow people such as Shah Alam – or their survivors – to sue the federal government for reported violations of their civil rights. […] Hochul said she sat with Fatimah Abdul Roshid, Shah Alam's widow […] Hochul said federal border agents "dumped" Shah Alam "with such depravity, such cruelty." "Who does that?" Hochul said. "And they left him there. I think that family should have a right of action against the federal government in court, and I want to get that passed right now." […] "Border Patrol agents offered Mr. Alam a courtesy ride […] a warm, safe location […] CBP said. When asked if he wanted to amend the statement in light of video published last week that appeared to show Shah Alam walking away from the darkened Tim Hortons in orange footwear, the spokesman declined and referred a reporter back to the initial statement.
  51. ↑ Gavin, Robert (March 6, 2026). "Hochul huddles with Trump border czar, asks for visas for family of late Buffalo refugee". The Buffalo News. Retrieved July 13, 2026. Gov. Kathy Hochul said she and President Trump's border czar on Friday discussed the death of a refugee […] she asked him to provide visas to the late man's family members in Myanmar to allow them to console grieving relatives in the U.S. In a closed door hourlong meeting in the State Capitol, Hochul said her request to Tom Homan came from the widow of Nurul Amin Shah Alam […]
  52. ↑ Ashford, Grace (March 27, 2026). "Can a Democrat Make Headway With Trump? New York's Governor Is Trying". The New York Times. Retrieved July 13, 2026. Ms. Hochul also asked that the relatives of Nurul Amin Shah Alam […] be given temporary visas to be able to mourn with family members in New York.
  53. 1 2 Reisman, Nick (April 30, 2026). "Hochul pushes Trump border czar on ICE agent who fatally shot Renee Good". Politico. Retrieved July 13, 2026. […] the latest effort by Hochul to place guardrails around Trump's sweeping deportation policies — a push that includes […] expected legislative action to limit the reach of federal immigration agencies like ICE. […] The push also highlights how Hochul stands to benefit politically from taking an assertive posture […] Trump has dialed back the publicly aggressive deportation effort, but that's done little to assuage the Hochul administration. The February death of Nurul Amin Shah Alam […] further inflamed New York officials. […] Hochul and Democratic state lawmakers are also on the verge of approving a package […] The measures would […] And New York is poised to make it easier to sue federal officers if a person believes their constitutional rights have been violated.
  54. ↑ Silva, Daniella (April 1, 2026). "Death of refugee found after being released by Border Patrol determined to be homicide". NBC News. Retrieved April 21, 2026.
  55. 1 2 United States Department of Homeland Security [@DHSGov] (April 2, 2026). "This death had NOTHING to do with Border Patrol. Mr. Shah Alam passed almost A WEEK AFTER he was released by Border Patrol — he also had a serial violent criminal rap sheet.

    Mr. Shah Alam's criminal history included charges for assaulting a first responder with intent to cause injury, criminal possession of a weapon, menacing with a weapon, resisting arrest, criminal trespass, and obstructing governmental administration"     (Tweet). Retrieved April 21, 2026 – via X (formerly Twitter).
  56. 1 2 United States Department of Homeland Security [@DHSGov] (March 4, 2026). ".@RepNadler is pushing another HOAX meant to demonize our law enforcement. This death had NOTHING to do Border Patrol.

    Mr. Shah Alam passed almost A WEEK AFTER […]"     (Tweet). Retrieved April 21, 2026 – via X (formerly Twitter).
  57. 1 2 United States Department of Homeland Security [@DHSGov] (February 27, 2026). "This individual was arrested by local police.

    This individual accepted a courtesy ride from Border Patrol to this location, a ride that did not have to be provided.

    Would the Washington Post have rather us force him to find transportation from the station after his arrest by local police?

    This individual tragically died almost a week after this courtesy ride. It is ridiculous to blame Border Patrol for an individual's death a week after their last interaction with them"     (Tweet). Retrieved April 24, 2026 – via X (formerly Twitter).
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