Last week, Nurul Amin Shah Alam, a blind Rohingya refugee, was found dead near Canalside. He was missing for six days after U.S. Customs and Border Protection left him at a closed coffee shop several miles away. His death has caused outrage across the country, especially in the disability community.
Alam, 56, had spent about a year in jail after he got lost while walking and ended up in someone’s yard in the Black Rock neighborhood. The resident called the police. Alam, who is blind and does not speak English, was using a curtain rod as a walking stick. Police reportedly tased and beat him when he didn’t respond to their commands, and he was arrested on several charges.
His family did not post bail or bond until after he reached a plea deal, partly to keep him from being sent to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). When he was released, he was handed over to Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to check if he might face immigration detention.
Customs and Border Protection then dropped him at the coffee shop when they determined they could not keep him.
CBP says they did not think Alam was disabled and claim he agreed to the ride to the coffee shop. It’s not clear if they offered the ride in a language he could understand, since he does not speak English.
Several disability organizations have spoken out about Alam's death, including the American Council of the Blind and the National Federation of the Blind:
American Council of the Blind
"Serious questions remain about the circumstances surrounding Mr. Shah Alam’s death, including whether his disability and communication needs were appropriately considered at each stage.
ACB urges a full and transparent investigation into what occurred, with particular attention to how disability-related needs were addressed. That review should identify clear steps to help prevent similar tragedies in the future and ensure that policies and practices fully protect the rights and safety of people with disabilities, including those who are blind or have low vision."
National Federation of the Blind
“Mr. Shah Alam’s death is a somber reminder of why accessible, disability‑aware practices are essential across all stages of custody and release. There is currently no indication he was provided effective communication or reasonable accommodations,” said Mark Riccobono, President of the National Federation of the Blind.
“The lack of accommodations and disability support among law enforcement has long been a concern of our organization. We urge federal, state, and local agencies to conduct a thorough investigation into the accommodations provided and to identify solutions to strengthen policies that protect the safety and dignity of blind immigrants and refugees," Riccobono added. "We remain prepared to serve as an expert resource to any agency seeking to improve their practices.”
This week on the Disabilities Beat, we speak with Aaron Baier, the chief operating officer of Western New York Independent Living, who believes Alam's death was preventable. Baier, who is blind, discusses the need for more refugees to be connected to services, and for police to undergo more training.
TRANSCRIPT
This is a rush transcript from a contractor that may be updated over time to be more accurate.
Editor's Note: This transcript has been edited to reflect Alam's death was on February 24. The audio version of the story stated his death was February 25.
Emyle Watkins: Hi, I'm Emyle Watkins and this is the Disabilities Beat. Last week, Nurul Amin Shah Alam, a blind Rohingya refugee, was found dead near Canalside six days after U.S. Customs and Border Protection left him at a closed coffee shop several miles away. Alam's death sparked outrage across the country, especially from the disability community.
Aaron Baier: I've considered this experience.
Emyle Watkins: Aaron Baier is the chief operating officer of Western New York Independent Living, which is run by and for disabled people. Baier is also blind.
Aaron Baier: If I was in a foreign place and had any tools that I relied on stripped away from me and plopped down in a community that I'm not very familiar with and I don't speak the language, sheer terror.
Emyle Watkins: Western New York Independent Living was among disability organizations who spoke out in light of Alam's death on February 24.
Aaron Baier: I think the biggest tragedy here, aside from Mr. Alam's death, is the lack of utilization of the various resources that are available and abundant in this community.
Emyle Watkins: The 56-year-old Alam had spent roughly a year in jail after he got lost on a walk and ended up in a Black Rock residence yard. The resident called the police. Alam, who is blind and does not speak English, was using a curtain rod as a walking stick when he got lost, according to the Investigative Post. He was tased and beaten by police when he didn't respond to their commands and ultimately was arrested on multiple charges.
Aaron Baier: The fact is it was a mobility device, and it was misrepresented as being otherwise.
Emyle Watkins: Baier says Alam should have been connected to community resources who could provide a proper mobility device, which would not have been mistaken as a weapon.
However, reaching refugees with disabilities is a challenge, one Baier says several organizations, including the Independent Living Center, are trying to tackle through a task force.
Aaron Baier: I think the resources in this community could have gotten him appropriate mobility aids.
Emyle Watkins: There are other issues at hand here, too. Local organizations have been outspoken about the need for more police training, and Niagara University even offers specialized first responder disability awareness training.
Aaron Baier: I think that we're going to hear a lot of excuses. I think that language barriers or any other excuse that may come from this is unacceptable when we have the tools to train law enforcement to identify disability, even if it's not obvious.
Emyle Watkins: His family did not bail or bond him out until after a plea deal had been reached in his case, in part to protect him from ending up in the custody of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE. When he was released, he was given to Customs and Border Protection to be cleared from potential immigration detention.
And then CBP dropped him at a closed Tim Hortons in the Black Rock neighborhood. CBP claims they did not believe Alam to be disabled and that he accepted the ride to the coffee shop, although it is not known if he was offered the ride in a language he understands or in English, which he does not. Baier says that at many points throughout Alam's encounters with police there were resources that could have been provided to ensure his safety.
Aaron Baier: We have the ability in this community to break down structural barriers for people with disabilities. This is just a clear instance where none of those resources were even considered, let alone utilized.
Emyle Watkins: The United Nations recognizes that disabled refugees face significant barriers but are often not tracked or counted effectively. In 2010, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees said UN states and agencies need to “protect and assist refugees with disabilities against all forms of discrimination.”
The UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities also recognizes disabled people's rights to movement, immigration and safety in humanitarian situations.
While 193 countries have ratified the convention, the U.S. has not.
Baier says that on a personal level, he believes human and disability rights violations happened on multiple levels during Alam's experiences and that his death was preventable.
Aaron Baier: The resources in this community exist, and from the get-go from last year, this all could have been prevented.
Emyle Watkins: You can listen to the Disabilities Beat segment on demand, view a transcript and plain-language description for every episode on our website at btpm.org.
I'm Emyle Watkins. Thanks for listening.
