Nearly blind refugee found dead in New York days after immigration agents dropped him at a coffee shop alone, officials say

By Hanna Park, Alisha Ebrahimji, CNN

(CNN) — The death of a nearly blind refugee in Buffalo, New York, days after Border Patrol agents dropped him off at a coffee shop alone, has prompted an investigation into the circumstances of his final days and drawn sharp criticism from the mayor, who called the incident “deeply disturbing.”

Nurul Amin Shah Alam, 56, who spoke little English, had been missing since February 19, when the agents left him at the shop shortly after he was released from the Erie County jail, officials said. His body was found five days later, around 8:30 p.m. Tuesday, about four miles from the coffee shop, the Buffalo Police Department said.

“Homicide detectives are investigating the circumstances and timeframe of events leading up to his death, following his release from custody,” the police department said in a statement.

New York Congressman Tim Kennedy described Shah Alam’s death as both “horrific” and “heartbreaking,” calling for a “full and transparent investigation at the local, state, and federal levels.”

“The public and Mr. Alam’s family deserve answers immediately,” the congressman said in a statement.

The Erie County Medical Examiner conducted an autopsy and determined Shah Alam’s cause of death was health‑related. Exposure and homicide have been ruled out, Buffalo city spokesperson Nick Beiling said.

“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 US Customs and Border Protection was unprofessional and inhumane,” Buffalo Mayor Sean Ryan said Wednesday, calling Shah Alam’s death “preventable,” and insisting CBP “answer for how and why this happened.”

The incident highlights growing concerns over the constitutional rights and treatment of people who come in contact with federal agents, regardless of their immigration status in the Trump administration’s mass deportation efforts.

A year behind bars waiting for trial

Shah Alam, a refugee from Myanmar, had spent much of the previous year in custody awaiting trial on criminal charges that were ultimately resolved with a misdemeanor plea deal, Erie County District Attorney Michael J. Keane told CNN in a statement Thursday.

A police report obtained by CNN affiliate WGRZ showed Shah Alam was being held on two counts of assault with intent to cause injury to an officer, a count of possession of a weapon and trespassing, among other charges, before a plea deal was reached.

He was arrested in February 2025, following what one of his children described to Reuters as a misunderstanding with police. Shah Alam had been out for a walk and was using a curtain rod as a walking stick when he got lost and wandered onto private property, his son Mohamad Faisal said. When he did not understand officers’ commands to drop the rod, Shah Alam was arrested.

At Shah Alam’s arraignment on the indictment in June 2025, his bail was modified to $5,000 cash or bond but he remained in custody as the case moved to its trial date, the district attorney’s office said.

In early February, Shah Alam pled guilty to misdemeanor charges with prosecutors and defense attorneys agreeing that he would remain in custody on bail pending a sentencing hearing set for March 24, Keane said.

“In this matter, the reduced disposition appropriately held the defendant accountable for the crime while avoiding a penalty that would be unduly harsh and disproportionate to the offense,” Keane said.

His family didn’t know where he was dropped off

Shah Alam was released from jail last week after his bond was posted on February 19, Keane said. It’s unclear who posted bond for him.

CNN has reached out to an attorney for Shah Alam.

As Shah Alam’s discharge from jail was being processed, deputies notified US Border Patrol, which had earlier placed him under an immigration detainer, the Erie County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement.

“U.S. Border Patrol arrived at the Holding Center prior to the finalization of Mr. Shah Alam’s release from Erie County Sheriff’s Office custody,” the statement said.

A spokesperson for CBP said the agents later determined Shah Alam had entered the United States as a refugee on December 24, 2024, and “was not amenable to removal.”

“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,” the statement said. “He showed no signs of distress, mobility issues or disabilities requiring special assistance.”

Upon learning that Shah Alam was ineligible for removal, Border Patrol agents, using a translator program, attempted to communicate with him, according to a federal law enforcement official who said that Shah Alam asked to be taken to the location where he was eventually left. He was offered an opportunity to make a phone call but declined, the official said.

But neither his family nor their attorney was notified by federal authorities where Shah Alam was dropped off and he did not read, write or use electronic devices, his son told Reuters.

It’s unclear whether the family was immediately notified by the county that Shah Alam was transferred to federal custody after his bond was posted.

The family are Arakan Rohingya refugees from Myanmar, Faisal said, referring to the stateless Muslim minority from Myanmar’s Rakhine state. Hundreds of thousands of Rohingya have fled the war-torn country since late 2016 following a brutal crackdown by the military junta that the US has since declared a genocide.

Shah Alam only wanted to “eat home-cooked food” and “be united with the rest of (his) family,” Faisal told Reuters.

Funeral services for the father are scheduled for Thursday afternoon at a mosque in Buffalo, Faisal told CNN.

In his statement, Keane said his office first learned about Shah Alam’s release from jail on Tuesday and will move to dismiss the charges against the man when they receive his death certificate.

“I am saddened to learn of the tragic death of Nurul Amin Shah Alam,” Keane said. “I recognize the desire for answers sought by his family, friends and our community as his death remains under investigation.”

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CNN’s Priscilla Alvarez and Taylor Romine contributed to this report.