Welcome to DU! The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards. Join the community: Create a free account Support DU (and get rid of ads!): Become a Star Member Latest Breaking News Editorials & Other Articles General Discussion The DU Lounge All Forums Issue Forums Culture Forums Alliance Forums Region Forums Support Forums Help & Search

struggle4progress

(125,879 posts)
Fri Feb 27, 2026, 07:40 PM 10 hrs ago

Nearly blind Burmese refugee dead five days after CBP abandons him

Katie Phang
Feb 27, 2026

CBP abandons a nearly blind Burmese refugee in the Buffalo cold and he is dead 5 days later. Katie Phang breaks down the disturbing details and calls for accountability for Nurul Amin Shah Alam’s death and for answers for his grieving family.CBP abandons a nearly blind Burmese refugee in the Buffalo cold and he is dead 5 days later. Katie Phang breaks down the disturbing details and calls for accountability for Nurul Amin Shah Alam’s death and for answers for his grieving family.

3 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
Highlight: NoneDon't highlight anything 5 newestHighlight 5 most recent replies
Nearly blind Burmese refugee dead five days after CBP abandons him (Original Post) struggle4progress 10 hrs ago OP
Funeral service for near-blind refugee Nurul Amin Shah Alam struggle4progress 10 hrs ago #1
Arrest to death struggle4progress 10 hrs ago #2
Key questions surround the death struggle4progress 10 hrs ago #3

struggle4progress

(125,879 posts)
2. Arrest to death
Fri Feb 27, 2026, 07:48 PM
10 hrs ago

Dramatic police body camera video captured encounter that lead to Nurul Amin Shah Alam's arrest. Other video footage shows Border Patrol agents dropping him off after hours at a coffee shop far from his home.

By J. Dale Shoemaker and Adam Smith-Perez

... On the morning of Saturday, February 15, 2025, Shah Alam left his West Side home for a walk, according to his attorney and a Buffalo police report, Shah Alam, his wife and two sons had arrived in Buffalo as refugees just weeks prior in December 2024 and were in the country legally. Cooped up due to the cold, his attorney said, Shah Alam set out for a stroll when a sunny day arrived ...

As officers point their Tasers at him, Shah Alam moves closer. They fire and he can be heard speaking Ruáingga ...

Shah Alam was eventually charged with assault, trespass and possession of a weapon – the curtain rods ...

Shah Alam pleaded guilty to two charges: trespassing and misdemeanor possession of a weapon – his curtain rod. His immigration attorney, Siana McLean, said those offenses did not warrant detention or deportation by ICE ...

https://www.investigativepost.org/2026/02/26/timeline-burmese-refugees-arrest-to-death/



struggle4progress

(125,879 posts)
3. Key questions surround the death
Fri Feb 27, 2026, 07:53 PM
10 hrs ago

By Hanna Park, Alisha Ebrahimji, Elise Hammond

... neither relatives nor his attorney were told he had been released by CBP or where was taken, the organization said.

“Mr. Alam was extremely vulnerable. He spoke almost no English and could not communicate without the aid of an interpreter. He suffered from severely impaired vision and had other health issues,” the legal aid statement said.

“He had only been in the US for a few months prior to his arrest. He would not have known where he was or had the wherewithal to contact his family or avail himself of other resources or services that could have assisted him,” the statement continued.

Buffalo Mayor Sean Ryan criticized Shah Alam’s release by Border Patrol, saying agents could have contacted family members or returned him to the county holding center. There, they could have obtained phone numbers for his son or lawyer, who had both been active visitors while he was in custody, according to Ryan.

The Department of Homeland Security pushed back Friday in a post on X saying, “It is ridiculous to blame Border Patrol for an individual’s death a week after their last interaction with them” ...

https://www.cnn.com/2026/02/27/us/shah-alam-death-new-york-border-patrol-wwk-hnk

Latest Discussions»General Discussion»Nearly blind Burmese refu...