Near-blind Rohingya refugee dies after US agents left him far from home

Nurul Amin Shah Alam, 56, was a nearly blind Rohingya refugee from Rakhine state in Myanmar, family members said.

A nearly blind Rohingya refugee from Myanmar has been found dead in Buffalo, New York, days after the United States Border Patrol left him miles away from his home following his release from a county jail, authorities said.

The body of Nurul Amin Shah Alam, 56, was located by police officers in the city in upstate New York on Tuesday evening, a Buffalo Police Department spokesperson said on Wednesday.

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Shah Alam had been missing since February 19, when US Border Patrol agents dropped him off at a coffee shop following his release from a county jail.

Mayor of Buffalo Sean Ryan, a Democrat, said in a statement on Wednesday that Shah Alam’s death was preventable and the result of “inhumane” decision-making by federal immigration authorities.

“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,” Ryan said.

“That decision from US Customs and Border Protection was unprofessional and inhumane,” he added.

Several US representatives called for an investigation into the circumstances of Shah Alam’s death on Wednesday, including Grace Meng, a Democrat representing areas of New York City, who described a “shocking breach of responsibility and basic humanity by federal enforcement”.

Mohamad Faisal, one of Shah Alam’s children, said nobody had told his family or their lawyer where their father had been left by authorities after his release from prison, according to the Reuters news agency.

Faisal said the family were Rohingya refugees from Arakan state, officially known as Rakhine state, in Myanmar, and that his father could not read, write or use electronic devices.

He said his father’s arrest a year ago was due to a misunderstanding after police were called when Shah Alam wandered onto private property, while carrying a curtain rod he had purchased as a walking stick due to his impaired vision.

His father had not understood when police, speaking in English, told him to drop the curtain rod, and he was held in jail for close to one year, before being released following a misdemeanour plea deal, Faisal said.

His father had only wanted to “eat home-cooked food” and “be united with the rest of [his] family”, he added.

In a statement to Investigative Post, a Buffalo-based news outlet, a US Customs and Border Patrol spokesperson said agents dropped Shah Alam off at a coffee shop after agents determined he had entered the country as a refugee and could not be deported.

“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 agency said.

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

Temperatures in Buffalo, a city near the Canadian border, were below freezing last weekend.

The death is being investigated by homicide detectives, the spokesperson from the Buffalo Police Department said, according to Reuters.

Shah Alam’s death comes as an immigration crackdown enforced by the administration of US President Donald Trump is facing increased scrutiny.

At least six immigrants have died in Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency custody since the beginning of this year.