Nearly Blind Refugee Found Dead In Buffalo After Border Release

A nearly blind Rohingya refugee was found dead in Buffalo, New York, days after his release from U.S. Border Patrol custody and after agents dropped him off alone at a coffee shop, according to officials and multiple published reports.

The man was identified as Shah Alam. He was described in the reports as nearly blind and a Rohingya refugee. Accounts of his last known movements say he was released by Border Patrol and left at a coffee shop, away from where he was supposed to go, before he was later found dead in Buffalo.

The case has prompted calls for an investigation into Border Patrol’s actions surrounding Alam’s release and transportation. Investigative Post reported that leaders called for a Border Patrol probe following his death. Other outlets, including Reuters, CNN and Al Jazeera, reported similar core details: that Alam was nearly blind, that he had been in federal custody, and that he was dropped off alone at a coffee shop and later died.

The circumstances have intensified scrutiny of how immigration authorities handle vulnerable people in their custody, including those with serious medical conditions or disabilities. Alam’s vision impairment, as described in the reports, raises questions about whether he had the capacity to navigate unfamiliar surroundings without assistance and whether appropriate safeguards were in place at the time of his release.

The incident also underscores the practical challenges facing local communities and service providers when people are released from federal custody with limited resources, limited English, or health issues. In cities such as Buffalo, where migrants and refugees may rely on coordinated handoffs to family, sponsors, or nonprofit groups, small breakdowns in communication or transportation can have severe consequences.

At this stage, the focus is on establishing a complete timeline of what happened between Alam’s release and the discovery of his body, and on determining what procedures were followed by Border Patrol personnel. Public reporting indicates that officials have been asked to review the case, but the available details do not resolve key questions about decision-making, documentation, or the steps taken to ensure Alam’s safety after he was dropped off.

Any formal probe would typically examine custody records, transport arrangements, communications with receiving parties, and whether agents complied with internal guidance for releasing people with disabilities or other vulnerabilities. It could also lead to policy changes on how releases are handled and what coordination is required with local partners.

For now, the case remains a stark reminder that the final moments of an immigration encounter can be as consequential as the detention itself, particularly for people who cannot safely move through the world alone.