The Erie County Medical Examiner’s office has ruled the death of a nearly blind refugee who died after he was released from federal custody outside a Buffalo coffee shop a homicide.
Nurul Amin Shah Alam’s body was found in February, four days after he was dropped off by Border Patrol agents alone outside a closed Tim Horton’s restaurant near his last known address.
The medical examiner’s office previously said Shah Alam’s cause of death was health-related.
New York Attorney General Letitia James said Wednesday her office is continuing to investigate the incident, saying Shah Alam “was abandoned and left to suffer alone in his final hours.”
A Border Patrol spokesperson previously told the New York Public News Network that agents offered Shah Alam a courtesy ride and that he showed “no signs of distress, mobility issues, or disabilities requiring special assistance."