Nurul Amin Shah Alam, a blind and illiterate 56-year-old Rohingya refugee from Myanmar, was found dead in Buffalo, New York, on Tuesday after being released from US Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) detention.

Shah Alam had been missing since February 19, when CBP agents dropped him off at a Tim Horton's donut shop, late at night, some five miles (eight kilometers) from his home, and neglected to contact his family or his lawyer.

Temperatures in Buffalo, which lies on the border to Canada, have been well below freezing for weeks.

On Wednesday, authorities in Buffalo confirmed that Shah Alam had been found dead on a downtown street.

Buffalo City Hall spokesperson Ian Ott said in a statement, "Mr. Shah Alam was identified by the Erie County Medical Examiner earlier today and his family was subsequently notified."

Though CBP has not issued an official statement, a spokesperson told local reporters from Buffalo's independent news outlet Investigative Post that the man had been dropped off after it was determined he could not be deported.

"Border Patrol agents," the spokesperson said: "offered him a courtesy ride, which he chose to accept to a coffee shop, determined to be a warm, safe location near his last known address, rather than be released directly from the Border Patrol station. He showed no signs of distress, mobility issues or disabilities requiring special assistance."

A police investigation has been launched into the circumstances of his death.

Buffalo mayor blasts 'inhumane' immigration authorities

On Wednesday, Buffalo Mayor Sean Ryan released a statement calling Shah Alam's death the result of "inhumane" federal immigration policies.

"A vulnerable man — nearly blind and unable to speak English — was left alone on ​a cold winter ‌night with no known attempt to leave him in a safe, secure location," said Ryan. "That decision from US Customs and Border Protection was unprofessional and inhumane."

Arrival, arrest and death for blind and illiterate Rohingya refugee to US

Shah Alam's stay in the US was complicated and marked by criminal detention. 

Unable to speak English, he arrived in the US in December 2024, fleeing repression in his conflict-ridden home country.

Shah Alam was arrested a few months later, in February 2025, after a Buffalo resident called police to report a dangerous trespasser. Shah Alam had gotten lost while out walking and entered the woman's property.

When police arrived, they reportedly tasered and beat him for not dropping his "weapon" — a curtain rod that his lawyer said he was using as an improvised walking stick.

He remained jailed by the Erie County Sheriff's Office until last week, when he was released on bail after agreeing to a misdemeanor plea deal.

Erie County authorities notified US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) of his pending release as the agency had filed a so-called immigration retainer requesting his custody upon release after his initial arrest.

He is survived by a wife and two sons.

Edited by: Jenipher Camino Gonzalez