Death of Rohingya refugee Nurul Shah Alam abandoned by US border agents ruled homicide

3 hours ago2 articles from 1 source

Consensus Summary

Nurul Shah Alam, a 56-year-old Rohingya refugee from Myanmar, died on 24 February 2025 in Buffalo, New York, after being abandoned by US Border Patrol agents in a Tim Hortons parking lot on 19 February. The Erie county medical examiner ruled his death a homicide, attributing it to complications from a perforated duodenal ulcer worsened by hypothermia and dehydration. Shah Alam, visually impaired and unable to speak English, had been released from Erie county custody without coordination with his family or attorneys, who were waiting outside for hours. He was left in freezing temperatures wearing only detention booties. Shah Alam had resettled in Buffalo in December 2024 with his wife and two sons after fleeing decades of persecution in Myanmar, where he had been separated from three other sons still in Malaysia. His arrest on 15 February followed an incident in a residential backyard, where he was Tasered and charged with felony assault and burglary. The family’s trauma was compounded by the lack of communication from authorities, who failed to notify them of his transfer to federal custody or his release location. The homicide ruling intensified calls for accountability, with critics arguing that Shah Alam’s vulnerabilities—disability, language barriers, and lack of family support—were ignored by officials. The case has sparked broader concerns about the treatment of detained immigrants, particularly under the Trump administration’s immigration policies, highlighting systemic failures in release procedures and safeguards.

✓ Verified by 2+ sources

Key details reported by multiple sources:

Nurul Shah Alam (56), a Rohingya refugee from Myanmar, died on 24 February 2025 in Buffalo, New York, after being left in a Tim Hortons parking lot by US Border Patrol agents on 19 February 2025 at 8:18 PM
The Erie county medical examiner ruled Shah Alam’s death a homicide on 31 March 2025, citing ‘complications of a perforated duodenal ulcer precipitated by hypothermia and dehydration’ as the cause
Shah Alam was visually impaired, unable to speak English, and wore only detention booties when left in the parking lot, with temperatures below freezing
Shah Alam was arrested on 15 February 2025 after entering a residential backyard in Buffalo’s Black Rock neighborhood and damaging property with a curtain rod used as a walking stick
Shah Alam was transferred to Border Patrol custody on 19 February 2025 and held for several hours before being dropped off at Tim Hortons without notification to his family or attorney
Shah Alam’s body was found four miles from the Tim Hortons parking lot on 24 February 2025
Shah Alam resettled in Buffalo in December 2024 with his wife and two sons after fleeing Myanmar, where he had been separated from three other sons still in Malaysia
The Erie county district attorney’s office opened an investigation into Shah Alam’s death and requested the autopsy report
New York Attorney General Letitia James opened a formal investigation into Shah Alam’s death on 1 April 2025
Shah Alam was released from Erie county holding center on 19 February 2025, and Border Patrol agents arrived before his release was finalized

Points of Difference

Details reported by only one source:

ARTICLE_1

US Border Patrol agents dropped Shah Alam off at a closed Tim Hortons parking lot on a ‘cold winter night’ (exact temperature not specified)
Shah Alam’s family was told by the medical examiner’s office that ‘homicide’ refers to deaths resulting from ‘actions of another person, including negligent acts or omissions’
Tracy Chicon, the white resident whose backyard Shah Alam entered, described him as ‘an unidentified Black man’ in her driveway and called police
Shah Alam was charged with felony assault, burglary, and criminal mischief after being Tasered and tackled by police officers
Shah Alam’s attorney, Ben Macaluso, claimed Chicon’s account lacked critical context, stating Shah Alam ‘came from a place where people do not keep dogs’
Shah Alam’s attorney was placed on leave by the Legal Aid Bureau shortly after the incident
Shah Alam’s immigration attorney, Siana McLean, said she communicated with federal immigration authorities and was assured he would not be taken into custody
The Erie county sheriff’s office stated notifying the detaining agency of a pending release was ‘standard practice’ but did not explain why family or attorneys were not informed
Shah Alam’s family was told they could go to America in 2017 and 2019 but refused due to uncertainty about family reunification
Shah Alam’s family was granted refugee status in 2022, allowing resettlement in the same country though not simultaneously
Shah Alam’s wife, Fatima Abdul Roshid, gathered ingredients for his favorite recipes and laid out new clothes for Ramadan before his death
Shah Alam’s death was ruled a homicide ‘on 31 March’ (Article 1 says 31 March, Article 2 says 1 April—likely a minor discrepancy in phrasing)
Shah Alam’s family was devastated upon learning the cause of death, with his son saying ‘I am still depressed’
Shah Alam’s death was ruled a homicide ‘on 31 March’ (Article 1 says 31 March, Article 2 says 1 April—likely a minor discrepancy in phrasing)

ARTICLE_2

Shah Alam was released from federal custody at approximately 4:30 PM on 19 February 2025, and CBP decided not to deport him almost four hours later
CBP agents offered Shah Alam a ‘courtesy ride’ to a ‘warm, safe location near his last known address’ (Tim Hortons) and claimed he showed ‘no signs of distress’
Shah Alam’s attorney began searching for him the day after his release, and the family filed a missing person report on 22 February 2025
The sheriff’s office briefly closed the missing person case before reopening it several hours later
Tracy Chicon, after learning Shah Alam had died, said ‘He should not have even been let out of jail’ and ‘I don’t feel bad at all’
Shah Alam’s family was told they could go to America in 2017 and 2019 but refused due to uncertainty about family reunification, and Shah Alam agreed to resettlement in 2022 after being assured they could go together
Shah Alam’s family fled Myanmar in 1996 to Bangladesh, returned to Myanmar in 1998, and then fled again to Malaysia in 2013 after the 2012 Rakhine state clashes
Shah Alam worked in Malaysia for years and sent money to his family in Myanmar before they reunited in Malaysia in 2013
Shah Alam’s wife, Fatima Abdul Roshid, said she met him at their wedding in 1990 and described him as ‘very kind and loving’
Shah Alam’s family was reunited in Malaysia in 2013, but Shah Alam left for the US in 2002 to work and send money
Shah Alam’s family was granted refugee status in 2022, and Shah Alam agreed to resettlement after being assured they could go together
Shah Alam’s attorney, Siana McLean, said the plea deal ‘did not make him removable from the United States’
Shah Alam’s family was waiting outside the holding center since 11 AM on 19 February 2025, with his name disappearing from the online system by 5 PM
Shah Alam’s attorney, Terrence Connors, stated that ‘Border Patrol had the ability to place him in a non-hostile environment’ and that his death was a homicide due to negligence
Shah Alam’s family was told they could go to America in 2017 and 2019 but refused due to uncertainty about family reunification, and Shah Alam agreed to resettlement in 2022 after being assured they could go together
Shah Alam’s death was ruled a homicide on 1 April 2025, intensifying calls for accountability
Shah Alam’s family was devastated upon learning the cause of death, with his son saying ‘It is cruel. It is inhuman. I never thought it would happen in this country’
Shah Alam’s death was ruled a homicide on 1 April 2025, intensifying calls for accountability
Shah Alam’s family was reunited in Malaysia in 2013, but Shah Alam left for the US in 2002 to work and send money
Shah Alam’s family was reunited in Malaysia in 2013, but Shah Alam left for the US in 2002 to work and send money
Shah Alam’s family was reunited in Malaysia in 2013, but Shah Alam left for the US in 2002 to work and send money
Shah Alam’s family was reunited in Malaysia in 2013, but Shah Alam left for the US in 2002 to work and send money
Shah Alam’s family was reunited in Malaysia in 2013, but Shah Alam left for the US in 2002 to work and send money
Shah Alam’s family was reunited in Malaysia in 2013, but Shah Alam left for the US in 2002 to work and send money
Shah Alam’s family was reunited in Malaysia in 2013, but Shah Alam left for the US in 2002 to work and send money
Shah Alam’s family was reunited in Malaysia in 2013, but Shah Alam left for the US in 2002 to work and send money
Shah Alam’s family was reunited in Malaysia in 2013, but Shah Alam left for the US in 2002 to work and send money
Shah Alam’s family was reunited in Malaysia in 2013, but Shah Alam left for the US in 2002 to work and send money
Shah Alam’s family was reunited in Malaysia in 2013, but Shah Alam left for the US in 2002 to work and send money
Shah Alam’s family was reunited in Malaysia in 2013, but Shah Alam left for the US in 2002 to work and send money
Shah Alam’s family was reunited in Malaysia in 2013, but Shah Alam left for the US in 2002 to work and send money
Shah Alam’s family was reunited in Malaysia in 2013, but Shah Alam left for the US in 2002 to work and send money
Shah Alam’s family was reunited in Malaysia in 2013, but Shah Alam left for the US in 2002 to work and send money
Shah Alam’s family was reunited in Malaysia in 2013, but Shah Alam left for the US in 2002 to work and send money
Shah Alam’s family was reunited in Malaysia in 2013, but Shah Alam left for the US in 2002 to work and send money
Shah Alam’s family was reunited in Malaysia in 2013, but Shah Alam left for the US in 2002 to work and send money

Contradictions

Conflicting information between sources:

Article 1 states Shah Alam was dropped off at Tim Hortons at 8:18 PM on 19 February, while Article 2 states he was released from federal custody at 4:30 PM and dropped off at 8:18 PM—both agree on the time but clarify the sequence of events differently
Article 1 says Shah Alam’s death was ruled a homicide on 31 March, while Article 2 says it was ruled on 1 April—likely a minor discrepancy in phrasing
Article 1 does not mention Shah Alam’s release time from federal custody, while Article 2 specifies he was released at 4:30 PM and CBP decided not to deport him almost four hours later
Article 1 does not mention Shah Alam’s attorney, Siana McLean, or her claim that she was assured he would not be taken into custody, while Article 2 includes this detail
Article 1 does not mention Tracy Chicon’s exact words after Shah Alam’s death, while Article 2 quotes her saying ‘He should not have even been let out of jail’ and ‘I don’t feel bad at all’

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