Since Nurul Amin Shah Alam’s death in February, fear has gripped Buffalo’s East Side. Alam, a 56-year-old Rohingya refugee from Myanmar with no English skills and mental health issues, was dropped by federal immigration officers outside a closed coffee shop in brutal winter weather after months in custody. He died days later. Now, his community demands justice.
Community Mobilization
Two months after Alam’s death, Rohingya refugees carpool in groups to work, and immigrant congregations are emptying as people fear leaving home, says Assemblyman Jonathan Rivera. Azimah Jalil, co-founder of the Rohingya Empowerment Community (REC), said the news triggered memories of military violence in Myanmar. “What if what happened to Amin happened to my dad?” she asked.
The Rohingya community, historically cautious about confronting state institutions, is using Alam’s memory as a catalyst. They push for the New York for All act, which would prohibit local law enforcement from cooperating with federal immigration authorities, and demand accountability for systemic failures.
REC’s Role
REC, founded three months before Alam’s death, has become a hub for mobilization. Community members gather to sign petitions and prepare for rallies. For a community that learned survival through silence, showing up politically is significant. Imran Fazal, REC co-founder, mobilized 40 members to pack an immigration court hearing for Alam and coordinated an international letter-writing campaign. “I cannot sleep, and I cannot stay silent,” he said.
The Rohingya are a Muslim ethnic minority from Myanmar, called the most persecuted minority by the UN. They have been denied citizenship, stripped of rights, and subjected to genocide. Their oral language has no universally accepted script, and standard resettlement services fail them.
Communication Gaps
Alam’s son, Mohammad Faisal Nurul Amin, said authorities could have called the family before releasing his father. A CBP spokesperson claimed an officer used Google Translate, but Rivera said Rohingya is not on Google Translate. Jalil and Fazal fund REC out of pocket, serving over 800 clients in five months by solving problems directly, often via WhatsApp voice notes.
Fazal fled Myanmar by boat at age 23, surviving 15 days at sea before detention. He learned English from scraps of paper. Jalil interpreted for Rohingya women in Malaysia. Ayet Ullah, 28, organizes community dinners at REC, saying clinical therapy is stigmatized. “You create that environment, you put them there, you leave them alone,” he said.
Legislative Push
The New York for All act is central to state budget negotiations. For Fazal, it represents dismantling a pipeline of fear. “As genocide survivors, we never imagined we would still live in fear,” he said. REC reclaims agency, proving a community once denied a written language can help write laws. “If we are not at the table, you create a policy that serves only people like you,” Fazal said.
