Trump's Trials - Community looking for answers after refugee released from federal custody found dead

Episode Date: February 27, 2026

A community and family in Buffalo, New York, are searching for answers after a refugee who had gone missing after being released from federal custody found dead last week. Alex Simone reports.Support NPR and hear every episode of Trump's Terms sponsor-free with NPR+. Sign up at plus.npr.org.To manage podcast ad preferences, review the links below:See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Is there an acquaintance in your life that you'd love to turn into an actual friend? And have you thought about saying, hey, we should hang out sometime? Maybe think again. The more specific you are, the more likely it is that you're actually going to get together. You know, pull out your calendar, pick a time, pick a thing to do together, and actually follow through. Listen to the Life Kit podcast in the NPR app or wherever you get your podcasts. I'm Scott Detrow, and this is Trump's Terms from NPR. Every episode, we bring you one story from NPR's coverage of the Trump administration with a focus on actions and policies that take the presidency into uncharted territory.

Here's the latest from NPR. From NPR News, I'm A. Martinez in Los Angeles, California. And I'm Michelle Martin in Washington, D.C. A family and a community are searching for answers in Buffalo, New York, after a partially blind refugee was found dead days after being released by U.S. Border Patrol agents. Buffalo, Toronto public media's Alex Simone has been following the story, and he's with us now to tell us more about it. Good morning, Alex. Good morning. So what can you tell us about this man and what happened to him?

His name was Nural Amin Shah Alam, and he was a 56-year-old Rohingya man who came to the U.S. in 2024, seeking asylum for him and his family. Not only was Alam visually impaired, but he also did not speak any English. And shortly after arriving, he was actually arrested by Erie County Sheriff. office on state charges of trespassing and weapons charge related to using a curtain rod that it was not explained by authorities, but the family says he was using it as a cane. So what happened next? Alam was held for a year in county jail, and then in February 19th, he was transferred into the custody of U.S. Border Patrol, who said in a statement he was brought in by Erie County

Sheriff's Office as a, quote, non-citizen. border patrol tried taking alarm to a nearby ice facility, but authorities there said he was not eligible for removal, so he was returned to Buffalo and released the same day. The agents who released him, they said they offered him a ride to a coffee shop nearby, and they say they saw no signs of distress, disability, or impairment that would require assistance. Hmm. But you just told us he doesn't speak English, and he's visually impaired, so, so what have his friends and family said. That's right. Family friend

Kalita Shah says he was left without proper clothes while family and friends were out looking for him after his release and she says that it hurts. When they left him at Tim Horton, he didn't even have proper shoes on. I'm here

all bundled up and still shivering here. He only had the booties that the gel provided and left him out in the cold like that. That's so inhuman. Buffalo police found Alam's body five days after being released, and that's a few miles from where he was dropped off. The family's attorney, Tannin Resvi, spoke to reporters yesterday,

and he says it has left them really afraid to even speak publicly. They don't want to come in from the camera right now. They're scared. They're a little scared. Basically, what we have to do right now is to seek together as a community and do as much as we can for the family. So what have elected officials and the Border Patrol said about all this? Yeah, Buffalo Mayor Sean Ryan, he's been critical of ICE and Border Patrol's handling of immigration cases in his city.

And he spoke about this case yesterday. He says how they handled the situation. It's irresponsible and really shows a lack of accountability. Border Patrol has referred all further questions to local authorities. And the Buffalo Police Department is investigating Alam's death. The Erie County Coroner's Office says cause of. death has not been determined, and New York Congress members, Tim Kennedy and Grace Meng, are calling for the New York Attorney General's office to open an investigation in the handling

of Alam's case. And Shah says the family will continue to seek justice. That is Alex Simone of Buffalo, Toronto Public Media. Alex, thank you. You're welcome, and thank you for having me. Before we wrap up a reminder, you can find more coverage of the Trump administration on the NPR Politics Podcast, where you can hear NPR's political reporters break down the day's biggest political news with new episodes every weekday afternoon. And thanks, as always, to our NPR Plus supporters who hear every episode of the show without sponsor messages. You can learn more at plus.npr.org. I'm Scott Detrow. Thanks for listening to Trump's terms from NPR.