Near-blind Myanmar refugee found dead in Buffalo after release by US Border Patrol

Mr Nurul Amin Shah Alam was found dead on a downtown street. Read more at straitstimes.com.

NEW YORK - A nearly blind refugee from Myanmar missing since his release from a Buffalo jail into the custody of US Border Patrol has been found dead on a downtown street, city authorities said on Feb 25.

Police officers in the upstate New York city located the body of Mr Nurul Amin Shah Alam, 56, on the evening of Feb 24, a Buffalo Police Department spokesperson said.

Mr Shah Alam had been missing since Feb 19, when US Border Patrol agents dropped him off at a coffee shop miles from his home following his release from a county jail, where he had spent much of the last year awaiting trial on criminal charges that resulted in a misdemeanour plea deal.

Homicide detectives are investigating the circumstances of Mr Shah Alam’s death, the spokesperson said.

Buffalo Mayor Sean Ryan, a Democrat, said in a statement on Feb 25 that Mr Shah Alam’s death was preventable and the result of “inhumane” decision-making by federal immigration authorities.

“A vulnerable man − nearly blind and unable to speak English − was left alone on a cold winter night with no known attempt to leave him in a safe, secure location,” Mr Ryan said.