Buffalo, N.Y. – Nurul Amin Shah Alam, a 56-year-old Rohingya refugee who was nearly blind and spoke little English, died of exposure in Buffalo earlier this week, sparking outrage and calls for a full investigation into the actions of U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP). Alam’s death, which occurred five days after he was released from custody and left at a closed coffee shop in near-freezing temperatures, has raised serious questions about the treatment of vulnerable individuals within the immigration system and the protocols followed by federal agents. The case highlights the challenges faced by refugees navigating a new country, particularly those with disabilities and language barriers.
Alam arrived in the United States as a legal refugee in December 2024, resettling in Buffalo after spending roughly a decade in Malaysia, according to J. Dale Shoemaker, a reporter for Investigative Post who closely followed the story. The circumstances surrounding his death began to unfold on February 19, when he was released from the Erie County Holding Center. Instead of being transferred to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) as his attorneys expected, Alam was taken into CBP custody. ICE confirmed to his legal team that they did not want custody of Alam, according to Shoemaker’s reporting.
What followed has drawn sharp criticism from local officials and advocates. Rather than holding Alam at a Border Patrol station, agents transported him to a Tim Hortons coffee shop and left him there, despite the fact that the shop was closed. Shoemaker confirmed that the coffee shop’s lobby was not open at the time, leaving Alam with no immediate shelter from the cold. He was found dead on February 24, approximately six miles from the coffee shop, having wandered the city for days in the orange booties issued by the Erie County Holding Center.
Mayor Condemns Border Patrol Actions
Buffalo Mayor Sean Ryan has been particularly vocal in his condemnation of CBP’s handling of the situation. At a press conference on Thursday, Ryan excoriated the agency, stating, “I issued an order a few weeks ago saying the Buffalo Police Department will not interact or help the Department of Homeland Security in their civil immigration enforcement actions. The incident that we are talking about makes it so of course we should, because the Department of Homeland Security, Border Patrol and ICE, they don’t know what they are doing.” He added that the incident demonstrated a lack of protocol for dealing with disabled individuals who do not speak English, and that agents simply “dropped him at a closed coffee shop.”
Ryan’s comments reflect a growing frustration with federal immigration enforcement practices and a desire to limit local cooperation with agencies like CBP and ICE. The mayor’s order, issued weeks prior to Alam’s death, underscores a broader trend of cities and states pushing back against federal immigration policies.
A History of Legal Trouble
The events leading up to Alam’s release from the Erie County Holding Center began nearly a year prior. According to Shoemaker’s reporting, Alam ventured out for a walk on a sunny day in February 2025, purchasing a curtain rod to use as a walking stick due to his near-blindness. When the weather turned bad, he became lost and ended up in the backyard of a resident on Tonawanda Street, who mistakenly believed he was attempting to break in.
Police arrived and, according to body camera footage reviewed by Investigative Post, immediately ordered Alam to drop his “weapon” – the curtain rod – and submit to arrest. The officers nearly discharged their firearms, Shoemaker reported. Alam, unable to understand the commands due to the language barrier, bit one of the officers and was subsequently charged with assault. His attorneys and family opted to keep him detained rather than risk ICE taking custody and potentially deporting him.
Miscommunication and a Search for Answers
The key to understanding Alam’s tragic fate appears to lie in a miscommunication regarding which agency was responsible for his custody after his release from jail. His attorneys believed ICE would take him, but ICE had declined. Border Patrol then took him into their system, and, lacking a clear protocol for handling a vulnerable individual with limited English proficiency, opted to leave him at the closed coffee shop, characterizing it as a “warm, safe location.” According to CBP, the coffee shop was closer to Alam’s home than the Border Patrol station. Although, this claim was contradicted by Shoemaker, who confirmed the coffee shop’s lobby was closed at the time of Alam’s release. The BBC reported that weather reports from that night indicated a temperature of around 36F (2.2C).
The family of Nurul Amin Shah Alam is seeking answers and demanding accountability for his death. “We do not want his death to just go to waste,” Khaleda Shah, a spokesperson for the family, told the Associated Press, as reported by CNN. CNN reported that the family hopes Alam’s story will raise awareness of the challenges faced by refugees and immigrants.
What’s Next
Calls for an investigation into the Border Patrol’s actions are growing louder, with congressional leaders and local officials demanding a thorough review of the agency’s protocols. The Buffalo Police Department is currently investigating the circumstances surrounding Alam’s death. The cause of death has not yet been publicly released. Alam’s funeral was held on Thursday, attended by J. Dale Shoemaker of Investigative Post. Further updates on the investigation are expected in the coming weeks.
This tragic incident serves as a stark reminder of the human cost of immigration policies and the importance of ensuring that vulnerable individuals are treated with dignity and respect. If you have been affected by this story or are seeking support, resources are available.
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