A nearly blind refugee was found dead in Buffalo, N.Y., after Border Patrol agents abandoned him miles from his home, the Investigative Post, a local news outlet, reported Wednesday.
Nurul Amin Shah Alam’s body was discovered Tuesday night and his death is currently under investigation, police said. The Erie County Medical Examiner determined that his death was “health related in nature,” and not due to exposure or homicide, according to Buffalo City Hall spokesperson Ian Ott.
Shah Alam, a 56-year-old Rohingya refugee from Burma whose attorney noted he did not speak English, is survived by his wife and two sons.
Buffalo police arrested Shah Alam last year after he ended up on a woman’s porch during a walk, and allegedly did not drop a curtain rod that he was using as a walking stick, the outlet reported. Two police officers experienced minor injuries in the incident, per Reuters.
Mohamad Faisal, one of Shah Alam’s sons, told Reuters that the arrest stemmed from a misunderstanding. Shah Alam didn’t comprehend the commands to drop the walking stick and was arrested as a result, Faisal said.
After agreeing to a plea deal, Shah Alam posted bail and was released from detention on Feb. 19, only to be picked up by Border Patrol, who were notified of his release by the Erie County Sheriff’s Office, a spokesperson for the office said.
Photo via Nurul Amin Shah Alam’s missing persons poster circulated by friends and family.
According to Reuters, Immigration and Customs Enforcement had issued an immigration detainer for Shah Alam before his release and wanted to take him into custody. However, Shah Alam’s attorney Benjamin Macaluso told the Investigative Post that the terms of a recent plea his client made enabled him to “clear” the detainer and avoid detention.
Rather than take Shah Alam into federal immigration detention or drop him off at his house, Border Patrol left him at a Tim Hortons miles from his home – though potentially close to an old address – and did not notify his family, the Investigative Post reported.
“Border Patrol agents offered him a courtesy ride, which he chose to accept to a coffee shop, determined to be a warm, safe location near his last known address, rather than be released directly from the Border Patrol station,” a spokesperson for Border Patrol claimed in a statement to Buffalo Toronto Public Media. “He showed no signs of distress, mobility issues or disabilities requiring special assistance.”
Faisal told Reuters that “nobody told me or my family or attorney where my dad was dropped off.” His father didn’t read, write or use electronic devices, he added.
Temperatures have often been below freezing in Buffalo this past month.
Macaluso opened a missing person’s case on Saturday. Police briefly closed the case Monday on the incorrect belief that Shah Alam was in immigration agents’ custody. The Erie County Medical Examiner identified Shah Alam on Wednesday morning, the Investigative Post and Buffalo Toronto Public Media reported.
“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,” Buffalo Mayor Sean Ryan (D) said in a statement. “That decision from U.S. Customs and Border Protection was unprofessional and inhumane.”
