The death of Nurul Amin Shah, a 56-year-old visually impaired Rohingya refugee from Myanmar, has been ruled a homicide by the Erie County Medical Examiner's Office. Shah died on 24 February 2025, five days after being left by US border patrol agents in the parking lot of a Tim Hortons in Buffalo, New York, on a cold winter night without notifying his family or attorney.
The medical examiner's office stated that the cause of death was complications of a perforated duodenal ulcer precipitated by hypothermia and dehydration. The office clarified that the term 'homicide' in this context refers to death resulting from the actions of another person, including negligent acts or omissions, and does not imply intent to cause harm or establish criminal liability.
Shah's son, Mohamad Faisal Nurul Amin, expressed shock and devastation upon learning of the ruling. New York Attorney General Letitia James, who opened a formal investigation in March, condemned the treatment of Shah, stating that he fled genocide to build a life in the US but was abandoned and left to suffer alone in his final hours.
The Erie County District Attorney's Office has requested the autopsy report and will review the findings alongside other evidence. New York Congressman Tim Kennedy said Shah would be alive if he had access to medical care, and called on the Department of Homeland Security to fully cooperate with the investigation.
Shah had resettled in Buffalo in December 2024 with his wife and two sons after fleeing persecution in Myanmar. On 15 February 2025, he was arrested after becoming disoriented and entering a resident's backyard. He was transferred to border patrol custody on 19 February and later dropped at a Tim Hortons parking lot. He was found dead five days later, about four miles from where he was left.
The Department of Homeland Security denied any connection between Shah's death and border patrol, describing the findings as a hoax. The Guardian has contacted the Erie County Sheriff's Office for comment.
