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Death of Buffalo Refugee After CBP Release Accelerates Push in Albany to Limit Local Immigration Cooperation

State lawmakers are advancing measures to restrict local assistance in civil immigration cases following his release at a closed coffee shop.

Overview

  • New York senators privately briefed colleagues on a package that would curb formal and informal cooperation with federal civil immigration enforcement, with leaders signaling a proposal could be ready within about a week.
  • Proposals under discussion include a version of the New York for All Act, limits on federal agents’ access to nonpublic areas and local data without a warrant, a ban on masks for agents, and a prohibition on using local jails for immigration detention.
  • Nurul Amin Shah Alam, a 56-year-old Rohingya refugee who was nearly blind and spoke little English, was dropped at a Tim Hortons after 8 p.m. in what CBP called a courtesy ride, with agents saying he showed no signs of distress.
  • He was found dead on Feb. 24 nearly six miles from the shop; Buffalo police said notes from the autopsy suggested a health-related death, but county health officials refuted that characterization and the medical examiner has not issued a final ruling.
  • Shah Alam had been jailed over a year on felony charges later reduced to misdemeanors; after his family posted $460 for release, Border Patrol took him on an immigration detainer and later released him after determining he entered as a refugee, with relatives saying they were not told where he was left.