Key questions surround the death of a nearly blind refugee after he was dropped off at a coffee shop alone

(CNN) — The death of a Rohingya refugee in Buffalo, New York, has raised pressing questions about how federal immigration agents handled his release from their custody – and what happened in the five days he was missing before his body was found.

Nurul Amin Shah Alam, 56, who spoke little English and was nearly blind, was released from the Erie County Holding Center on February 19. Border Patrol agents briefly took custody of him on an immigration detainer before determining he shouldn’t be deported and, later that night, dropped him at a closed coffee house alone in near freezing temperatures. His body was found on February 24, about four miles away.

US Customs and Border Protection has defended the agents’ actions, but local and state leaders are calling for investigations.

Meanwhile, Shah Alam’s friends and family gathered at a mosque Thursday for his funeral, offering prayers before accompanying him to a cemetery for burial.

“We do not want his death to just go to waste,” Khaleda Shah, a spokesperson for the family, told the Associated Press. “We want his death to bring awareness to his community, his family, his community at large. We want his name, his story to be a voice for those who are still suffering.”

The case comes amid growing concerns about the constitutional protections and treatment of people who come into contact with federal immigration authorities, regardless of their immigration status, under the Trump administration’s mass deportation efforts.

Here’s what we know – and don’t know – about his death:

Who was Nurul Amin Shah Alam?

Shah Alam entered the US as a refugee on December 24, 2024, according to US Customs and Border Protection. He and his family are Arakan Rohingya, a persecuted Muslim minority from Myanmar that the US government has said was subjected to genocide.

Shah Alam previously worked in construction in Malaysia and came to the US with his wife and two children, searching for opportunity, Imran Fazal, who knows the family, told CNN affiliate Spectrum News Buffalo.

Shah Alam’s son, Mohamad Faisal, told CNN he last saw his father on February 19, before he was released from jail.

Faisal told Reuters that Shah Alam did not read, write or use electronic devices.

What we don’t know:

• What was the extent of Shah Alam’s visual impairment?
• What was his health condition before he was released?
• Did he have diagnosed medical conditions requiring treatment?

Why was he in jail?

Shah Alam was arrested in February 2025 after what his son described as a misunderstanding.

He had gone for a walk using a curtain rod as a walking stick, became lost and wandered onto private property, Faisal told Reuters. When officers arrived and ordered Shah Alam to drop the rod, he did not comply because he did not understand.

Body camera video obtained by CNN affiliate WGRZ shows Shah Alam holding what appears to be two long black poles. He is seen waving the poles in the direction of the officers before they fired stun guns and tackled him. Two officers suffered minor injuries, police said.

He was later indicted on felony assault, burglary and criminal mischief charges, the Erie County District Attorney’s Office said.

Earlier this month, he pleaded guilty to two misdemeanor charges: criminal possession of a weapon in the fourth degree and criminal trespass in the third degree. Sentencing was scheduled for March 24.

Erie County District Attorney Michael Keane said his office reduced the charges after considering Shah Alam’s medical condition, time served and the “significant collateral consequences that would result from a felony conviction – including mandatory deportation.”

What we don’t know:

• Did Shah Alam consistently have access to a translator during his year in custody?
• Was his visual impairment or other health issues documented in internal jail records?

Why was he released from jail?

Shah Alam’s bond had been set at $5,000. His family initially declined to post bail, fearing a federal immigration detainer would result in his transfer to immigration custody, according to the Legal Aid Bureau of Buffalo, which represented Shah Alam.

Following the plea deal, an immigration lawyer was consulted and the family posted bond after being advised it would not place Shah Alam at risk of deportation, the legal aid statement said.

As Shah Alam’s release was being processed on February 19, Erie County deputies notified Border Patrol because of the detainer, the Erie County Sheriff’s Office said.

Border Patrol agents arrived as Shah Alam’s release was being processed and took him into their custody.

What we don’t know:

• Who posted the bond?
• Was Shah Alam offered a translator during his release or when Border Patrol agents picked him up?
• How much communication was there between local and federal authorities before the transfer?

What happened when he was released from jail?

Later that day, immigration authorities determined Shah Alam, as a legal refugee, “was not amenable to removal,” Customs and Border Protection said in a statement.

Using a translation program, agents attempted to communicate with Shah Alam, according to a federal law enforcement official. Shah Alam was offered the opportunity to make a phone call, but declined, and asked to be taken to the location where he was eventually dropped off, the official said.

“Border Patrol agents 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,” the CBP statement said.

According to legal aid, Shah Alam was dropped off at a Tim Hortons near his last known address sometime after 8 p.m., though that location had already closed at 7 p.m. His family no longer lived at the prior address, and neither relatives nor his attorney were told he had been released by CBP or where was taken, the organization said.

“Mr. Alam was extremely vulnerable. He spoke almost no English and could not communicate without the aid of an interpreter. He suffered from severely impaired vision and had other health issues,” the legal aid statement said.

“He had only been in the US for a few months prior to his arrest. He would not have known where he was or had the wherewithal to contact his family or avail himself of other resources or services that could have assisted him,” the statement continued.

Buffalo Mayor Sean Ryan criticized Shah Alam’s release by Border Patrol, saying agents could have contacted family members or returned him to the county holding center. There, they could have obtained phone numbers for his son or lawyer, who had both been active visitors while he was in custody, according to Ryan.

What we don’t know:

• Is there protocol for releases involving people with disabilities or limited English proficiency?
• Did the agents speak to anyone in the coffee shop after it had closed and before leaving him there?

How was he found?

Shah Alam’s attorney reported him missing to police three days after he was released, on February 22, telling officers he couldn’t “confirm his client’s location despite contacting federal authorities,” police said.

Police briefly closed the case after determining Shah Alam had been transferred to federal custody, then reopened it when they learned he had been released.

His missing person case remained open when someone called 911 around 8:30 p.m. on February 24 to report a man on a downtown street who appeared not to be breathing.

The man, later identified as Shah Alam, was wearing a dark parka and khaki pants, a police statement said. A woman told responding officers she’d seen the man about three hours earlier at the same location and he was moving.

First responders attempted life-saving measures, but he was pronounced dead at the scene.

His cause of death is unknown.

A city spokesperson said Wednesday the death appeared health-related and exposure and homicide had been ruled out. But on Thursday, Ryan, the mayor, said the medical examiner had not yet released its full findings.

The Erie County Health Department told CNN that medical examiner records are treated as confidential medical records and would only be shared with law enforcement and others legally entitled to them.

According to preliminary information, Shah Alam did not have shoes on, just orange booties from the detention center, when he was dropped off by agents, Ryan said.

The day Shah Alam was dropped off at the coffee shop, the area saw light freezing rain with temperatures in the low 30s. There was snow and fog over the next two days, with temperatures hovering around freezing for at least 24 consecutive hours.

What we don’t know:

• What is Shah Alam’s cause of death?
• Did any underlying health conditions contribute to his death?
• What happened in the days between his release and when he was found dead?

What are local and state officials saying?

Ryan has sharply criticized Border Patrol’s actions in the case, calling it “an inhumane thing to do,” and insisted that CBP must “answer for how and why this happened.”

The Buffalo Police Department said its homicide detectives are looking into the timeline and circumstances leading to Shah Alam’s death.

“The death of Nurul Amin Shah Alam is a horrific and heartbreaking tragedy,” US Rep. Tim Kennedy, whose district includes Buffalo, said Thursday, calling for a “full and transparent investigation at the local, state, and federal levels.”

New York Attorney General Letitia James said her office “is reviewing our legal options,” according to a statement.

CNN has reached out to CBP for more information.

What we don’t know:

• Have any agencies aside from the Buffalo Police Department started an investigation?

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CNN’s Omar Jimenez, Priscilla Alvarez and Nicole Chavez contributed to this report.