US immigration agents left a refugee to die in the cold. His community is demanding justice

Buffalo’s Rohingya community pushes for NY state law to protect immigrants after Nurul Amin Shah Alam’s death Since Nurul Amin Shah Alam’s death in February, the fear across Buffalo’s East Side has been palpable. Alam, a 56-year-old Rohingya refugee from Myanmar, who spoke no English and had mental health issues, was dropped by federal immigration officers outside a closed coffee shop in the middle of a brutal winter. He had spent months in custody following a confusing encounter with local law enforcement, then was released – alone, in the cold – far from the Rohingya community hub where he might have found help. Days later, he died. Two months later, Rohingya refugees are carpooling in groups of four or five to get to work. Assemblyman Jonathan Rivera says he sees the same thing across his district, where immigrant congregations are emptying because people are afraid to leave their homes. Azimah Jalil, program director and co-founder of the support services hub Rohingya Empowerment Community (REC), said the news triggered memories of military violence in Myanmar. She thinks about her own father, who also struggles with poor vision and limited English. “What if what happened to Am