1. United States
2. Wash.
3. Letter

I am writing to demand a comprehensive investigation into the death of Nurul Amin Shah Alam, a 56-year-old nearly blind Rohingya refugee whose body was found on Perry Street in Buffalo on February 24, 2026, five days after U.S. Border Patrol agents abandoned him at a Tim Hortons doughnut shop. The facts of this case reveal a catastrophic failure of multiple government agencies. On February 19, 2026, Border Patrol agents took custody of Shah Alam from the Erie County Holding Center after he posted bail and accepted a plea deal. Despite determining he should not have been in their custody, agents dropped him at a Tim Hortons on Niagara Street around 8 p.m., claiming it was near his last known address. His family lived 5 miles away in the Broadway-Fillmore neighborhood and was never notified of his release. Neither was his attorney, Joseph Macaluso. Shah Alam was completely blind in one eye with only blurry vision for several feet in the other. He spoke no English. Border Patrol's claim that he "showed no signs of distress, mobility issues, or disabilities requiring special assistance" is contradicted by the fact that he used a curtain rod as a walking stick. The agents' decision to abandon a nearly blind, non-English speaking refugee at a doughnut shop in winter demonstrates either willful negligence or deliberate cruelty. This tragedy began in February 2025 when Buffalo police Tasered and beat Shah Alam after he became lost during a walk and ended up on a woman's porch. He was charged with assault, trespassing, and possession of a weapon for carrying his walking stick. He spent a year in detention before the plea deal that led to his death. Shah Alam arrived in Buffalo in December 2024 seeking safety. Instead, he was brutalized by police, detained for a year, and abandoned to die alone. I demand you call for a full federal investigation into Border Patrol's actions, the Erie County Sheriff's coordination with immigration enforcement, and the systemic failures that caused this preventable death. Accountability and policy changes are essential to prevent future tragedies.