New York, NY—On Tuesday, Buffalo resident Nurul Shah Alam was found dead on the street after Border Patrol left him at a Tim Horton’s five miles from his home. Alam was a refugee from Myanmar, and was nearly blind and did not speak English. Border Patrol never contacted Alam’s attorney or family – his wife and two children – after they dropped him off at the doughnut shop last Thursday. Alam had been held at the Erie County Holding Center since February 2025 after he was arrested by Buffalo police when he had gotten lost on someone else’s porch. The Erie County Sheriff's office contacted Border Patrol in response to an immigration detainer, and Border Patrol picked him up at the jail when he was released on bail.
Murad Awawdeh, President and CEO, New York Immigration Coalition:
“Narul Shah Alam should have gone home to his family last week, but instead his loved ones are planning a funeral during Ramadan. When he was released from jail and turned over to Border Patrol, agents treated Alam as disposable. It is inhumane and unconscionable that Border Patrol would abandon a blind man miles away from his home, without contacting anyone about what they had done. This inept and negligent action resulted in a man’s death – a wife left without her husband, and kids left without their father. But let us be clear: Alam should never have been in the hands of Border Patrol in the first place. The Erie County Sheriff colluded with Border Patrol to put Alam into the deportation dragnet. In the City of Good Neighbors, people are supposed to be respected and cared for by our local institutions – especially our most vulnerable. Local police in Buffalo should not be doing Trump’s dirty work. We demand a full investigation into the negligence and bad faith actions of any agency involved in Alam’s death. It is essential that Albany passes New York for All now, to ensure that our local police will always prioritize the safety of our local residents instead of colluding with ICE and CBP to meet an agenda that is literally killing our neighbors.”