The Night Border Patrol Abandoned a Blind Man
Nurul Amin Shah, a 56-year-old blind Rohingya refugee, died on February 24 after Border Patrol agents left him in a Tim Hortons parking lot on a freezing night without notifying his family or attorney. The Erie County Medical Examiner's Office ruled his death a homicide on March 31, determining he died from complications of a perforated duodenal ulcer caused by hypothermia and dehydration. He was found dead five days later about four miles from where agents abandoned him.
From Genocide to a Buffalo Jail Cell
Shah had resettled in Buffalo in December 2024 with his wife and two sons after fleeing decades of persecution in Myanmar, where the Rohingya face systematic discrimination. On February 15, 2025, he became disoriented while walking home from a Burmese grocery store where he had bought a curtain rod he used as a walking stick. Tracy Chicon called police after Shah entered her backyard. According to reporting by Investigative Post, Chicon described Shah as "an unidentified Black man." She told authorities Shah had damaged a shed door. Officers arrested Shah. He spent about a year in the Erie County jail. He was released on February 19.
The Son Who Got the Phone Call
"When I got the call from the medical examiner, my body went into shock," said Mohamad Faisal Nurul Amin, Shah's son. "I felt like I was going to throw up. I couldn't move. Someone told my mother, and she was devastated. I am still depressed." Neither Shah's family, who waited outside the facility where he was being held, nor his lawyers, who had been trying to contact him, were notified of his release. Shah spoke very little English and had no way to navigate the unfamiliar streets of Buffalo on his own.
Government Agencies Point Fingers
The Department of Homeland Security claimed on social media that Shah "showed no signs of distress, mobility issues, or disabilities requiring special assistance," despite his visual impairment. New York Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer responded directly: "DHS is lying." Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz emphasized that the homicide designation "does not imply intent to cause harm or death" and exists only for vital statistical purposes, not to establish criminal liability. Customs and Border Protection maintained the Tim Hortons location was chosen as "a warm, safe location" near Shah's last known address, though the restaurant was closed at the time.
What Happens Next
New York Attorney General Letitia James, who opened a formal investigation in March, stated: "Mr Shah Alam fled genocide to build a life in this country. Instead, he was abandoned and left to suffer alone in his final hours." The Erie County District Attorney's Office requested the autopsy report and will review it alongside other evidence. Rep. Tim Kennedy said Shah "would be alive today with his family if he had access to medical care." Kennedy also demanded that DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin order an independent investigation. Murad Awawdeh, president of the New York Immigration Coalition, called for criminal charges against every person involved in Shah's death.
The Mother Jones article reports that Erie County official Mark Poloncarz clarified at a press conference that the homicide ruling is 'neutral, non-legal' and 'do not indicate criminality.'