Authorities in Buffalo are investigating the death of 56-year-old Rohingya refugee Nurul Amin Shah Alam, whose body was discovered on the evening of February 24 during freezing weather conditions. Police located Alam at approximately 8:30 p.m., as temperatures in the city had dropped to around -6°C. A medical examination was later conducted, and officials ruled out both homicide and death caused by exposure to the cold. Alam, who was visually impaired and spoke limited English according to friends and family, had been released from custody just five days earlier. Originally from Myanmar, he had arrived in the United States as a refugee roughly 15 months before his arrest last year on charges including assault, trespassing, and weapons possession. Family members say the incident stemmed from a misunderstanding after he was found carrying a curtain rod he intended to use as a walking stick due to his limited vision.

Following a plea agreement on a misdemeanor charge, Alam was released from custody by U.S. Border Patrol agents but, according to relatives, was not reunited with family members or his attorney. His loved ones say they were not informed of his exact drop-off location, later learning he had been left at a coffee shop several miles from their new residence. Concerned when they could not reach him, the family filed a missing persons report days before his body was found. Buffalo Mayor Sean Ryan described the circumstances as “deeply disturbing,” calling for greater accountability and clearer communication protocols. In response, U.S. Customs and Border Protection stated that Alam had accepted a courtesy ride to what agents believed was a warm and safe location near his last known address, and that he showed no visible signs of distress at the time of release.