- Trump’s anti-immigrant policies target those without criminal records, disregarding human lives.
- A vulnerable man died after being left alone by CBP, despite their claim he showed no distress.
- The Buffalo PD is investigating the CBP’s actions, raising questions of accountability and empathy.
Donald Trump’s anti-immigrant policies are doing more harm than good. Although he made promises of ridding America of criminals and drug traffickers, CBS News reports that less than 14% of those detained by ICE and Border Patrol have criminal records. The stat speaks to the wanton and callous methods that immigration enforcement agencies are deploying in their effort to appease him. Human lives be damned.
That lack of responsibility, accountability, and empathy incurs a great cost.
According to CNN, the latest victim of the recklessness is a 56-year-old man named Nurul Amin Shah Alam, a blind man who spoke no English, who was found dead after he had been missing for five days. Shah Alam was previously in police custody at Erie County Jail in Buffalo, N.Y., for close to one year, awaiting trial for criminal charges that were resolved with a misdemeanor plea deal.
The report states that Customs and Border Patrol agents offered Shah Alam a courtesy ride to a Tim Horton’s coffee shop they believed to be near his home. Unfortunately, the address that agents used for his home was incorrect, and his family was never notified of his release or location.
“A vulnerable man—nearly blind and unable to speak English—was left alone on a cold winter night with no known attempt to leave him in a safe, secure location. That decision from US Customs and Border Protection was unprofessional and inhumane,” Buffalo Mayor Sean Ryan said Wednesday, Feb. 25, calling Shah Alam’s death “preventable,” and insisting CBP “answer for how and why this happened.”
Erie County Medical Examiner has ruled that Shah Alam’s death was a result of his many health issues; however, it’s not unreasonable to ask whether or not this man would be dead if he was simply taken to his family safely.
A spokesperson for CBP issued a “CYA” statement that likely won’t fly in the court of public opinion and perhaps not in the court of law either.
“Border Patrol agents offered him a courtesy ride, which he chose to accept to a coffee shop, determined to be a warm, safe location near his last known address, rather than be released directly from the Border Patrol station,” the statement said. “He showed no signs of distress, mobility issues or disabilities requiring special assistance.”
The Buffalo Police Department has issued a public statement announcing an investigation into the actions of the Border Patrol.
We will continue to update this story as more information becomes publicly available.
