BUFFALO, NEW YORK — The Erie County Medical Examiner's Office on March 31, 2026, ruled the death of Nurul Amin Shah, a 56-year-old Rohingya refugee who was left by U.S. Border Patrol agents in a Tim Hortons parking lot in Buffalo, New York, a homicide.

The medical examiner's office said the cause of death was complications of a perforated duodenal ulcer precipitated by hypothermia and dehydration. For death certification purposes, the office noted, homicide refers to a 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, a visually impaired refugee from Myanmar, resettled in Buffalo in December 2024 with his wife and two sons after fleeing decades of persecution. He was nearly blind and unable to speak English, according to his family. Three of his sons and their families remain in Malaysia, waiting to be resettled.

On Feb. 15, 2025, Shah was arrested after an incident in the Black Rock neighborhood of northwest Buffalo. According to his family, he had gone to a nearby Burmese grocery store and bought several items, including a curtain rod he later used as a walking stick. He became disoriented on his way home and wandered into the neighborhood, entering the backyard of Tracy Chicon as she was letting her dog out. Chicon called police and described Shah as an unidentified Black man in her driveway. She told authorities that Shah had opened a gate, let the dog out, and damaged a shed door with the curtain rod.

On Feb. 19, 2025, Erie County authorities transferred Shah to Border Patrol custody. He was held for several hours before agents dropped him at a Tim Hortons parking lot at about 8:18 p.m. without informing his family or lawyer. Shah died on Feb. 24, five days after being dropped off. He was found dead about four miles from where he had been left.

The Erie County District Attorney's Office said in a statement that it had requested the autopsy report and would review the findings alongside other evidence. New York Attorney General Letitia James also addressed the ruling.

"Mr Shah Alam fled genocide to build a life in this country. Instead, he was abandoned and left to suffer alone in his final hours. My office is continuing our review of the circumstances and treatment that led to Mr Shah Alam's death," James said.

U.S. Representative Tim Kennedy said, "Mr Shah Alam would be alive today with his family if he had access to medical care. Instead, he was callously abandoned on a cold winter night by the Department of Homeland Security. In light of this determination, DHS must fully cooperate with the attorney general's investigation and ensure a transparent review of what happened."

The Department of Homeland Security said in a statement that Shah's death had nothing to do with Border Patrol and described the findings as "another hoax being peddled by the media and sanctuary politicians to demonize law enforcement."