Border Patrol left refugee in ‘hostile environment’ before he died in the cold, family attorney says
A visually impaired refugee found dead on the cold streets of Buffalo, New York died from complications from an ulcer precipitated by hypothermia and dehydration, according to a medical examiner.
The manner of death was homicide, according to the report from the Erie County Medical Examiner’s Office.
Nurul Amin Shah Alam, a 56-year-old Rohingya refugee from Myanmar, was picked up by Border Patrol agents from a local jail and dropped off outside a Tim Horton’s coffee shop on February 19. He wasn’t seen again until five days later, when a woman called 911 to report his body on the street more than five miles away.
The medical examiner’s report “confirms our understanding that Shah Alam was placed into a hostile environment” from which he could not remove himself, according to Terrence M. Connors, who is representing his family.
“Border Patrol had the ability to place him in a non-hostile environment so that is why the medical examiner designated the manner of death as homicide,” he told The Independent.
A determination of homicide indicates a death that resulted from the volitional act of another, which includes negligent acts or omissions, the medical examiner clarified.
The designation does not necessarily suggest an intent to cause harm or death.
An ulcer formed when hypothermia set in and decreased his blood flow, weakening the lining of his intestines, while dehydration built up stomach acid that eroded his digestive system, according to Dr. Gale R. Burstein, Erie County’s health commissioner
“The symptoms of a perforated ulcer are severe pain,” she said during a news conference Wednesday. “It’s a medical emergency.”
Erie County District Attorney Mike Keane said his office is reviewing the autopsy report and other medical records.
“We are committed to seeking the truth and upholding justice,” he said in a statement shared with The Independent.
“While I recognize the demand for answers sought by Mr. Shah Alam’s family and our community, it would be inappropriate to comment on the specifics of the autopsy report or the status of any investigation,” he said. “I appreciate the public’s interest in this case and their continued patience while our review remains ongoing.”
New York Governor Kathy Hochul, a Buffalo native, pledged that “every individual involved in the death of Mr. Shah Alam must be held fully accountable.”
The death of Shah Alam, who was nearly blind and spoke only little English, shocked Buffalo’s Rohingya community and outraged residents and advocates who have raised alarms for months about the conditions of vulnerable immigrants, refugees and their families.
