Death of near-blind refugee in New York ruled a homicide

2026-04-01 22:46:22

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April 1 (Reuters) - Local officials in upstate New York on Wednesday ruled the death of a nearly blind refugee from Myanmar as a homicide, after he had gone missing for several days upon being released from jail and into the custody of the ‌U.S. Border Patrol.

Nurul Amin Shah Alam, 56, was found dead on a downtown Buffalo street in freezing cold weather in February. Shah Alam, from a family of Arakan Rohingya refugees, did not speak English and walked with a cane.

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His death raised concerns and prompted outrage about the treatment of immigrants in President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown. Apart from Shah Alam’s case, at ⁠least 14 people have died in immigration custody in 2026.

The Erie County Medical Examiner’s office reported the manner of death was homicide, with the cause being determined as complications of a perforated duodenal ulcer precipitated by hypothermia and dehydration. Homicide could result from negligence or omission and the designation does not imply intent, the medical examiner said in a statement.

New York Attorney General Letitia James said her office would continue to review the “circumstances and treatment” that led to his death.

“Mr. Shah Alam fled genocide to build a life in this country. Instead, he was abandoned and left to suffer alone ‌in ⁠his final hours,” James said in a statement.

U.S. Border Patrol agents dropped him off at a coffee shop following his release from jail, where he had spent much of the last year awaiting trial on criminal charges that resulted in a misdemeanor plea deal.

Reporting by Daniel Trotta in Carlsbad, California; Editing by Aurora Ellis

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Daniel Trotta

Thomson Reuters

Daniel Trotta is a U.S. National Affairs correspondent, covering race, guns, LGBTQ+ issues, immigration, homelessness and breaking news in the 50 states. Previously based in New York and now in California, Trotta was awarded the NLGJA award for excellence in transgender coverage. He was previously posted in Cuba, Spain, Mexico and Nicaragua, covering top world stories including the normalization of Cuban-U.S. relations and the Madrid train bombing by Islamist radicals.

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