Death of Refugee CBP Released Outside Donut Shop Ruled Homicide

A death that drew outrage in Buffalo and beyond has now been ruled a homicide by the local medical examiner, the New York Times reports. Nearly blind Rohingya refugee Nurul Amin Shah Alam died in February after Border Patrol agents left him outside a closed Tim Hortons on a freezing night, with apparently no notification given to his family; he was found dead five days later on a city street. The area where he was dropped off was miles from his home, the Buffalo News reports. Erie County health commissioner Dr. Gale Burstein said hypothermia and dehydration contributed to a perforated ulcer that proved fatal, calling such a condition a "medical emergency" that would have caused "severe pain."

The homicide ruling could open the door to criminal charges, though Erie County's executive stressed that the medical classification speaks to manner of death, not legal intent. Per PBS, a homicide ruling indicates a person's death resulted from someone else's action or inaction. US Customs and Border Protection rejected any responsibility, calling suggestions otherwise "another hoax being peddled by the media" and noting Shah Alam died nearly a week after his release. New York Attorney General Letitia James and the Erie County district attorney are investigating, and Gov. Kathy Hochul condemned the Border Patrol's actions as cruel and inhumane, saying everyone involved "must be held fully accountable." Advocates point out Shah Alam, who fled genocide in Myanmar, was visually impaired and had trouble walking, spoke no English, and was wearing thin jail-issued shoes when he was dropped off.