BUFFALO, N.Y. — The case of Nurul Amin Shah Alam, a 56-year-old Rohingya refugee described by advocates as nearly blind and unable to communicate easily in English.
Is drawing mounting calls for answers after he was released from custody and later found d3ad in Buffalo.
Shah Alam arrived in the United States as a refugee on Dec. 24, 2024, according to federal officials, after fleeing persecution in Myanmar.
Friends say he had recently been trying to build a new life in western New York with his wife and two sons, including Mohamad Faisal, who has spoken publicly about his father’s limitations with reading, writing and using electronic devices.
Authorities say Shah Alam was released from the Erie County Holding Center on Feb. 19, after a legal process that included a plea agreement that reduced charges to misdemeanors.
Erie County District Attorney Michael Keane said the reduction considered Shah Alam’s medical condition, time served and the immigration consequences tied to felony convictions.
Court records cited in local reporting list sentencing for March 24, 2026, before Erie County Court Judge James Bargnesi.
What happened next is now at the center of public scrutiny.
Buffalo Mayor Sean M. Ryan has said Shah Alam was taken into brief federal custody on an immigration detainer, then later dropped off by Border Patrol agents at a closed Tim Hortons — alone — on a winter night.
The mayor and local advocates say neither Shah Alam’s family nor his attorney were notified in time to pick him up, leaving him vulnerable.
Federal officials have defended their actions, saying agents used translation tools to communicate, offered him a chance to make a call, and provided what they described as a “courtesy ride” to a location near his last known address.
Five days later, on Feb. 24, Shah Alam was found on a Buffalo street and pronounced d3ad, reigniting questions about release protocols for people with disabilities and limited English proficiency — and what happened during the days he was missing.
At a funeral gathering, Khaleda Shah, speaking for the family, said loved ones want the circumstances of his d34th fully examined so that it can drive awareness and accountability.
The case has triggered broader demands for investigations at multiple levels. U.S. Rep. Tim Kennedy has called for a “full and transparent investigation,” while New York Attorney General Letitia James has said her office is reviewing legal options.
And Mark Riccobono, president of the National Federation of the Blind, urged disability-aware practices across custody and release.
Local police say investigators are reviewing the timeline and circumstances surrounding Shah Alam’s final days, while officials have emphasized that the medical examiner’s final findings are still pending in publicly available reporting.