A nearly blind Rohingya refugee was abandoned in a Buffalo parking lot by U.S. border agents and later found dead. His death has been ruled a homicide, and his family is demanding answers about what happened in the hours before he was discovered.
Nurul Shah Alam, 56, was supposed to reunite with his wife and two sons on February 19, the second day of Ramadan. The family had waited nearly a year for this moment, gathering that morning before sunrise to pray together in their apartment on Buffalo's outskirts.
"For the first time since we arrived in America, I felt happy," his wife, Fatima Abdul Roshid, said through an interpreter. "I thought my husband would be with our two sons and me for Ramadan."
That reunion never came. Instead of returning home, Shah Alam was left alone in a parking lot, where he was later found dead.
The circumstances surrounding his abandonment remain unclear, with border agents apparently leaving the vulnerable man without assistance or explanation. Shah Alam's severely limited vision made him particularly dependent on care and guidance, raising questions about how such a situation was allowed to occur.
His family's grief has transformed into a push for accountability. The homicide ruling suggests Shah Alam's death may not have been accidental, pointing to potential negligence or worse by those responsible for his care.
The case highlights persistent concerns about how U.S. immigration authorities treat particularly vulnerable migrants, including refugees with physical disabilities and serious health issues. Shah Alam's death underscores the human cost when systems fail those they are meant to protect.
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