Advancing Justice – AAJC Condemns Death of Rohingya Refugee Allegedly Abandoned by CBP in Freezing Buffalo Weather

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Asian Americans Advancing Justice – AAJC says it is “horrified” by the death of a visually impaired Rohingya refugee who was allegedly abandoned in freezing conditions by U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents in Buffalo, New York.

Nurul Amin Shah Alam, who had fled violence in Myanmar, was found dead on February 25 in Buffalo, days after authorities reportedly left him at a coffee shop without shoes as snow and freezing rain blanketed the city. According to advocates, Shah Alam spoke no English and had a visual impairment. His family was not notified of his release, and his body was discovered five days after he was left alone.

In a statement released Tuesday, Advancing Justice – AAJC condemned the circumstances surrounding Shah Alam’s death, describing it as part of a “string of disturbing instances of neglect and violence” involving immigration authorities, including U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

“Nurul Amin Shah Alam’s death is yet another case in a string of disturbing instances of neglect and violence at the hands of ICE and CBP, especially for the most vulnerable in our communities,” the organization said. “He was left to fend for himself. Unfortunately, this is not an isolated incident: our immigration system has been designed to mistreat people and ignore their basic humanity.”

The group said critical questions remain about the events leading up to Shah Alam’s death but argued that he should not have been in CBP custody in the first place. According to the statement, agents were not equipped to communicate effectively with someone who spoke little English and had disabilities.

Shah Alam was among the hundreds of thousands of Rohingya who have fled Myanmar amid what the U.S. government and international human rights groups have described as genocide against the predominantly Muslim ethnic minority. Advocates say his death underscores the vulnerability of refugees who arrive in the United States seeking safety.

“Escaping violence only to then be treated cruelly and inhumanely in the place that was supposed to provide safety is an unimaginable horror,” the organization said.

Advancing Justice – AAJC called on Congress to reduce funding for ICE and CBP, arguing that current detention and enforcement practices are harmful and discriminatory. The group also demanded accountability for Shah Alam’s death and for what it described as broader patterns of mistreatment within the immigration system.

“We grieve with Nurul Amin Shah Alam’s family,” the statement concluded, “and we demand accountability and justice for his death, and the many others nationwide who have been victims of the government’s cruel anti-immigration agenda.”