Trump's Terms Community looking for answers after refugee released from federal custody found dead
Feb 27, 2026
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Partially Blind Rohingya Asylum Seeker Found Dead
- A partially blind, non-English-speaking Rohingya refugee named Niral Amin Shah Alam arrived seeking asylum in 2024 and was jailed on local trespassing and weapons charges.
- He spent a year in county jail, was transferred to Border Patrol on Feb 19, returned the same day and found dead five days after being dropped off a few miles away.
Federal Claim Of No Impairment Conflicts With Family Account
- Border Patrol says agents returned Alam to Buffalo after an ICE facility deemed him ineligible for removal and that they offered him a ride and saw no signs of impairment.
- Local officials and family dispute that claim given Alam's blindness, lack of English, inadequate clothing, and his death days later, prompting calls for further investigation.
Family Says He Was Dropped Off Without Shoes Or Warm Clothes
- Family friend Kalita Shah says Alam was dropped at a Tim Hortons without proper shoes or clothes, leaving him shivering in booties the jail had provided.
- The community feels the release was inhumane and has rallied around the family while they fear speaking publicly.