A nearly blind Rohingya refugee from Myanmar who was found dead in downtown Buffalo days after being released into the care of U.S. Border Patrol agents was dropped off outside a coffee shop that was closed, according to surveillance footage obtained by the Investigative Post.
The footage contradicts the Department of Homeland Security’s statement that said Nurul Amin Shah Alam had been offered a “courtesy ride” to a coffee shop that was determined by Border Patrol agents to be “a warm, safe location.”
Shah Alam, 56, was detained by Border Patrol agents on February 19 after his release from a county jail, but was let go that same day after federal authorities determined he was not eligible for deportation.
The agents brought him to a Tim Hortons restaurant and dropped him there. He was found dead on the street five days later, prompting a police investigation and complaints from city officials that he had been abandoned without care for his safety.
His family wasn’t informed he had been released, according to the Investigative Post, which first reported his death.
Newsweek has contacted the Department of Homeland Security and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) for comment via emails sent outside regular business hours. The Buffalo Police Department has also been contacted for comment.
Why It Matters
Immigration enforcement efforts nationwide have come under heightened scrutiny following the fatal shootings of two U.S. citizens, Renee Good and Alex Pretti, by federal agents in Minneapolis in January.
Critics and civil rights groups have filed lawsuits alleging widespread warrantless arrests, excessive force and violations of constitutional protections, related to various federal immigration enforcement operations.
Shah Alam was completely blind in one eye, had blurry vision for several feet in the other and did not speak English, his attorney Benjamin Macaluso told the Investigative Post.
What To Know
The surveillance camera footage obtained by the Investigative Post shows a white Border Patrol van pull up near the drive-thru of the Tim Hortons at around 8:18 p.m. on February 19. The store was closed at the time, except for the drive-thru, the outlet reported.
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.
Shah Alam’s body was found on the night of February 24, near the KeyBank Center where the NHL’s Buffalo Sabres play.
According to a timeline released by the Buffalo Police Department on Thursday, a passerby had called 911 at around 8:30 p.m. to report an “unresponsive male wearing a dark parka and khaki pants who appeared not to be breathing, with his hands described as gray in color.”
The caller said she had seen the man moving at around 5:30 p.m. but contacted 911 after observing that he was no longer moving when she passed by the location again at around 8:30 p.m.
Police said fire department personnel initiated chest compressions and police officers administered Narcan. Emergency medical arrived on the scene and pronounced the man dead.
The department said cameras in the area had been offline since February 19 “due to prior criminal mischief to infrastructure that supports the camera network.”
The police department told reporters that the Erie County Medical Examiner had concluded that the death was “health related” and ruled out exposure or homicide. But the Erie County Department of Health disputed that account, saying no determination had been made.
Shah Alam’s legal case stemmed from an incident on February 15 last year.
He had been out for a walk using a curtain rod as a walking stick when he got lost, entered a stranger’s property and was arrested after officers confronted him with commands he did not understand, his attorney Benjamin Macaluso told the Investigative Post.
He pleaded guilty on February 9 to misdemeanor charges of trespassing and possession of a weapon and was scheduled to be sentenced in March. After the plea agreement, he was released on bail.
But since federal Border Patrol had lodged an immigration detainer after his arrest, the Erie County Sheriff’s Office followed standard practice and informed the federal agency about his pending release.
Macaluso said agents did not notify him or Shah Alam’s family about the drop-off at Tim Hortons. The family live in the Broadway-Fillmore neighborhood, about five miles from where Shah Alam was dropped off.
He said he and the family searched for him and he reported Shah Alam missing on February 22 after learning that a local immigration detention center didn’t have him in custody.
Shah Alam arrived in the United States with his wife and two of his children in December 2024.
What People Are Saying
The Department of Homeland Security said in a statement posted on X on Thursday: “Here are the FACTS. On February 19, 2026, Buffalo Police Department alerted Border Patrol about a noncitizen in their custody. Our agents confirmed that Mr. Shah Alam 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. He showed no signs of distress, mobility issues, or disabilities requiring special assistance.”
Investigative Post reporter J. Dale Shoemaker wrote on X, alongside a clip of the surveillance footage: “We’ve obtained video of Border Patrol abandoning Nurul Shah Alam, the Buffalo refugee. Border Patrol claimed the shop was open. The doors, however were locked. Agents never notified family or lawyers. Shah Alam died 5 days later.”
Khaleda Shah, a family friend and spokesperson, said at Shah Alam’s funeral, according to The Associated Press: “We do not want his death to just go to waste. We want his death to bring awareness to his community, his family, his community at large. We want his name, his story to be a voice for those who are still suffering.”
Buffalo Mayor Sean Ryan, a Democrat, said in a statement on Wednesday: “The preventable death of Nurul Amin Shah Alam is 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. U.S. Customs and Border Protection must answer for how and why this happened. Buffalo is a city that welcomes refugees and believes government should protect human dignity, not endanger it. U.S. Customs and Border Protection failed that basic standard.”
Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer of New York said on X on Thursday: “Border Patrol took a nearly blind father, barely able to communicate, and seemingly abandoned him in the cold far from his home without telling his loved ones. My heart breaks for Nurul Amin Shah Alam’s family. He should be alive—and this should have never happened. Alam’s family deserves answers from ICE and CBP and we must have an immediate independent investigation.”
New York Senator Kirsten Gillibrand said in a statement on Thursday: “The family of Nurul Amin Shah Alam and our community deserve answers on the events that led to his death. I am deeply disturbed by reports that after taking him into custody, Border Patrol agents left Mr. Shah Alam at a Tim Hortons, miles from his home, without notifying his family or attorney before he was found dead. If true, this is absolutely unacceptable. The Department of Homeland Security, Customs and Border Protection, and local law enforcement must provide a full accounting of what has occurred and ensure this never happens again.”
Representative Tim Kennedy of New York wrote on X on Thursday: “Today I sent a letter to @NewYorkStateAG Letitia James in response to the death of Nurul Amin Shah Alam in Buffalo, New York. His family and our community deserve a full, independent investigation into how and why this happened—and I will not rest until we get those answers.”
New York Attorney General Letitia James, a Democrat, wrote on X on Thursday: “My thoughts are with Nurul Amin Shah Alam’s family and loved ones after this devastating tragedy. No one who comes here seeking refuge should be left in harm’s way. My office is reviewing our legal options.”
New York Governor Kathy Hochul, a Democrat, wrote on X: “We can secure our borders and still show basic humanity. CBP released a blind father from custody and left him to find his way home alone. He never made it. New Yorkers deserve answers and accountability.”
What Happens Next
Detectives are investigating the events leading up to Shah Alam’s death.
Gillibrand has sent a letter to Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and CBP commissioner Rodney Scott demanding a full accounting of the events and actions taken by federal agents while Shah Alam was in their custody.
Democrats have also called for an independent investigation into Shah Alam’s death. James said her office is reviewing its legal options.
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