The story of a resident of Buffalo, New York, Nurul Amin Shah Alam, represents yet another profound systemic failure in our nation’s treatment of immigrants and refugees. Shah Alam, an almost blind, limited English-proficient refugee legally in the United States, was detained by U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and then dropped off in the middle of the night outside a closed local cafe in February. His next of kin were not notified of his release, and he was later found dead.

Like Shah Alam, I am originally from Myanmar, formerly known as Burma, a war-torn country reeling from violent conflict and ruled by military dictatorship. Shah Alam is a member of the Rohingya minority, most of whom are from Rakhine state, which is also the home province of my father's family.

My own people – Burmese Buddhists – persecuted the predominantly Muslim Rohingya minority for generations. As an American civil rights lawyer hailing from Myanmar, I feel a duty to speak up in solidarity and partnership with the Rohingya.

Shah Alam fled persecution, civil war in Myanmar

When Myanmar engaged in an alleged genocide against its Rohingya population, I advocated for civil rights and inclusion in Myanmar and began volunteering with the Free Rohingya Coalition. I am now copresident of the Burmese American Lawyers Association, and I've contacted advocates for Shah Alam's family to offer support.

Shah Alam’s death broke me, as did the deaths of Alex Pretti and Renee Good, and others whose names are not as widely known. For many refugees and immigrants like me, it has been a painful road to realize that our country of adoption may not ultimately be safer or more inclusive than our countries of origin. 

Here in the United States, the vast majority of individuals from Myanmar are refugees and asylees who fled political, ethnic, religious or other persecution at the hands of the brutal Burmese military. I am not personally a refugee, but we all came here for a fresh start.

The idea of the “American dream” may sound cliché, but it felt real to us, something attainable. And while many in our community have experienced individual incidents of bias or discrimination in the United States, I never thought we and other immigrants and refugees would face the kind of widespread, government-sponsored terror unleashed by President Donald Trump’s administration. 

Late in 2025, Trump decided to end temporary protected status for individuals from Myanmar. TPS allows people from designated countries to temporarily remain legally in the United States because repatriation is deemed unsafe due to conflict, natural disaster or other extraordinary conditions.

In November, then-Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said conditions in Myanmar had “improved enough that it (was) safe for Burmese citizens to return home.”

In reality, Myanmar remains embroiled in civil war.

Thousands who had fled Myanmar – including people I know – were on the verge of losing TPS and faced the terrifying prospect of being deported. Fortunately, a federal judge agreed to postpone termination of TPS for Myanmar until the outcome of a lawsuit filed by my former employer, the Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund, and partners. That means TPS for individuals from Myanmar remains in place. For now. 

Shah Alam arrived legally in the United States in December 2024 along with his wife and two of their children. They began to make a home in Buffalo.

A significant number of refugees are resettled in the state of New York. From October 2024 to September 2025, Myanmar was among the five top refugee-sending countries, with more than 4,440 people coming to the United States during this period.

Erie County, where Buffalo is located, is a major refugee recipient, with over 2,000 refugees from various countries arriving in 2024. 

Immigrants, refugees need protection from federal government's abuses

Despite possessing legal immigration status, refugees and asylees – as well as other immigrants – are increasingly fearful of federal authorities due to recent immigration enforcement activity in our area. Partners of the Children’s Defense Fund across the state of New York have reported widespread fear and a decline in social service and early education enrollment among immigrant and mixed-status families. For example, one partner reported that health care centers have seen a significant decline in patients.

This environment of fear is toxic and stifling, causing families to forgo education, childcare, housing, medical and other services to which they are entitled.

It doesn’t have to be this way. The New York for All Act, pending before the legislature, is gaining significant traction. If enacted, it would minimize municipal authorities’ collaboration with federal immigration enforcement, disallow sharing of sensitive state and local information with federal immigration authorities, and prohibit federal immigration enforcement activity altogether in non-public state and local areas – like schools and social service providers – without a warrant.

This policy idea is gaining momentum across the country. States like California and Illinois have enacted similar protections. I believe all states should follow suit. 

Again, Shah Alam’s story underscores a heartbreaking realization for many refugees: The promised safety of a new home can prove just as precarious and exclusionary as the one left behind.

We must change this. Let’s work together, as immigrants and refugees, communities of color and allies in a broad coalition in pursuit of a bright, inclusive future. We need to mobilize for state level protections, like the New York for All Act, and speak up against abuses by the federal government like the tragedy that befell Shah Alam. 

Khin Mai Aung, the New York state director for the Children’s Defense Fund, is copresident of the Burmese American Lawyers Association.

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