New York Coroner Rules Refugee Death a Homicide Case
A coroner in New York ruled a Rohingya refugee’s death a homicide after he was abandoned and later found dead.
Area in Buffalo where the refugee was found after being left in a parking lot. Photo: Reuters
April 3, 2026 Hour: 1:39 am
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Erie County cites exposure and neglect after migrant was left in parking lot, homicide
A medical examiner in New York state has ruled the death of a visually impaired refugee abandoned by migration agents in a parking lot a homicide, according to Erie County authorities.
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In a statement released Wednesday, officials said Nurul Amin Shah Alam, a 56-year-old refugee from Myanmar, died from complications of a stress-induced ulcer that ruptured, combined with hypothermia and dehydration.
Authorities classified the manner of death as a “homicide,” defining it as the result of a “voluntary act by another person, which may include negligent acts or omissions.” Local officials have not directly identified migration officers as responsible.
At a press conference later that day, Erie County Commissioner Gale Burstein said the homicide classification “does not indicate criminality” and that such determinations fall under “the judicial system.”
Buffalo police found Shah Alam’s body near the city center on February 24. He was part of the persecuted Rohingya Muslim minority and had arrived in the United States as a refugee with his family in 2024.
According to local media, Shah Alam had spent just over a year in prison on minor charges following a violent encounter with police, who arrested him while he attempted to enter a neighbor’s yard.
His family had been expecting his release on February 19 after he completed his sentence. Without notifying relatives, local authorities transferred him to Border Patrol custody, which later determined he could not be deported.
That same day, surveillance footage later leaked to The Washington Post showed migration agents leaving Shah Alam at around 20:00 local time in the parking lot of a small shopping center.
His family launched a search through social media and community networks. Five days later, he was found dead.
Border Patrol and the Department of Homeland Security have denied any link between their agents and the death, stating to local media that he showed “no signs of distress, mobility issues, or disabilities requiring special assistance.”
Author: MK
Source: EFE / Reuters
