MICHEL MARTIN, HOST:
A family and a community are searching for answers in Buffalo, New York, after a partially blind refugee was found dead days after being released by U.S. Border Patrol agents. Buffalo Toronto Public Media's Alex Simone has been following the story, and he's with us now to tell us more about it. Good morning, Alex.
ALEX SIMONE, BYLINE: Good morning.
MARTIN: So what can you tell us about this man and what happened to him?
SIMONE: His name was Nurul Amin Shah Alam, and he was a 56-year-old Rohingya man who came to the U.S. in 2024, seeking asylum for him and his family. Not only was Alam visually impaired, but he also did not speak any English. And shortly after arriving, he was actually arrested by Erie County Sheriff's Office on state charges of trespassing and a weapons charge related to using a curtain rod that was not explained by authorities, but the family says he was using it as a cane.
MARTIN: So what happened next?
SIMONE: Alam was held for a year in county jail, and then in February 19, he was transferred into the custody of U.S. Border Patrol, who said in a statement he was brought in by Erie County Sheriff's Office as a, quote, "noncitizen." The Border Patrol tried taking Alam to a nearby ICE facility, but authorities there said he was not eligible for removal. So he was returned to Buffalo and released the same day. The agents who released him, they said they offered him a ride to a coffee shop nearby, and they said they saw no signs of distress, disability or impairment that would require assistance.
MARTIN: But you just told us he doesn't speak English, and he's visually impaired. So what have his friends and family said?
SIMONE: That's right. Family friend Khaleda Shah says he was left without proper clothes while family and friends were out looking for him after his release, and she says that it hurts.
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KHALEDA SHAH: When they left him at Tim Horton, he didn't even have proper shoes on. I'm here all bundled up and still shivering here. He only had the booties that the jail provided and left him out in the cold like that. That's so inhumane.
SIMONE: Buffalo police found Alam's body five days after being released, and that's a few miles from where he was dropped off. The family's attorney, Thanon Rezvi, spoke to reporters yesterday, and he says it has left them really afraid to even speak publicly.
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THANON REZVI: They don't want to come in from the camera right now.
UNIDENTIFIED PERSON: They're scared.
REZVI: They're a little scared. Basically, what we have to do right now is stick together as a community and do as much as we can for the family.
MARTIN: So what have elected officials and the Border Patrol said about all this?
SIMONE: Yeah. Buffalo Mayor Sean Ryan, he's been critical of ICE and Border Patrol's handling of immigration cases in his city, and he spoke about this case yesterday. He says how they handled the situation, it's irresponsible and really shows a lack of accountability. Border Patrol has referred all further questions to local authorities, and the Buffalo Police Department is investigating Alam's death. The Erie County Coroner's Office says cause of death has not been determined, and New York Congress members Tim Kennedy and Grace Meng are calling for the New York attorney general's office to open an investigation in the handling of Alam's case. And Shah says the family will continue to seek justice.
MARTIN: That is Alex Simone of Buffalo Toronto Public Media. Alex, thank you.
SIMONE: You're welcome, and thank you for having me. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
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