New: Hydrogen producer Plug Power, in 2021, won massive subsidies for a facility it planned to open at STAMP, the struggling industrial park in Genesee County.
That project is now dead. We look back at how Plug Power's plans hit the rocks in Western NY.
www.investigativepost.org/2026/03/11/m...
The embattled addiction services nonprofit Save the Michaels of the World is facing more challenges as the state intervenes in another of its facilities, and a contractor says it owes hundreds of thousands in unpaid bills.
Read the latest:
www.investigativepost.org/2026/03/09/s...
New rules put Buffalo's refugees at the center of Trump's detention agenda.
Refugees who haven't applied for a green card after one year now risk ICE arrest & detainment.
Advocates say the application process is costly & offers no guarantee of safety.
www.investigativepost.org/2026/03/04/a...
Last Friday, AG James confirmed she'll investigate the death of Nurul Amin Shah Alam.
She'll probe why Shah Alam remained at the county holding center for over a year — after he pled guilty to misdemeanor charges — & how he was released to Border Patrol.
www.investigativepost.org/2026/03/06/n...
New: Save the Michaels faces another blow — a $330K debt claim.
A construction firm owned by ex-Bill Thurman Thomas says the nonprofit still needs to pay for labor and construction work.
The news comes as yet another facility faces possible closure.
www.investigativepost.org/2026/03/09/s...
Buffalo’s refugees face a new threat under Trump: ICE detention.
A new policy allows refugees without green cards to be arrested if they haven’t applied after one year.
The catch: they can’t apply until they’ve lived in the U.S. for a year.
www.investigativepost.org/2026/03/04/a...
In the aftermath of our reporting on the Shah Alam case, lawmakers & politicians nationwide have called for accountability.
Now the state AG is opening an investigation.
It appears the county sheriff's office will be the first target of James' inquiry.
www.investigativepost.org/2026/03/06/n...
Breaking: New York AG Letitia James has opened an investigation in the death of Nurul Amin Shah Alam, the blind Rohingya refugee found dead in Buffalo last week.
In a letter obtained by IPost, James indicates the Sheriff's Office is an initial target:
www.investigativepost.org/2026/03/06/n...
Kristi Noem is out.
The day prior, the now-former Homeland Security Secretary faced questions from congressional leaders about the death of Nurul Amin Shah Alam.
She said the matter is "being reviewed."
www.investigativepost.org/2026/03/05/c...
New: A new Trump administration policy seeks to arrest & detain refugees who don’t yet have green cards.
The policy comes as Buffalo refugees mourn the death of Nurul Amin Shah Alam. Fear is rippling through the local community.
www.investigativepost.org/2026/03/04/a...
Breaking: Addiction treatment nonprofit Save the Michaels has lost both state and county funding and is now shrinking its operations.
Its facility in Lockport closed recently and operations at its Buffalo headquarters are being scaled back.
www.investigativepost.org/2026/03/02/s...
New: In this week's Outrages & Insights column, editor Jim Heaney goes behind the scenes of our reporting on Nurul Amin Shah Alam, the Burmese refugee who died after being abandoned by Border Patrol agents.
Here's the story behind the stories:
www.investigativepost.org/2026/03/02/t...
Breaking: The family of Nurul Amin Shah Alam has spoken publicly for the first time since his untimely death Tuesday.
“On his dying death, I couldn't even see him,” his wife said. "That's what breaks my heart. That's the regret that will last forever.”
www.investigativepost.org/2026/02/28/s...
WARNING: Graphic.
We recently obtained body camera footage from Nurul Amin Shah Alam’s 2025 arrest, showing Buffalo police Tasering and beating him.
That encounter set into motion a chain of events that ended in Shah Alam’s death.
Our full story below:
www.investigativepost.org/2026/02/26/t...
In other news this week, we published an investigation regarding the local addiction organization Save the Michaels.
After a critical audit, the group will lose some of its public funding. Former employees told us the troubles didn't end there.
www.investigativepost.org/2026/02/25/t...
Breaking: IPost has obtained CCTV footage showing a Border Patrol van dropping off Nurul Shah Alam at a closed Tim Hortons last Thursday.
Shah Alam, nearly-blind & unable to enter the shop, then wandered the city for days. He was found dead Tuesday.
www.investigativepost.org/2026/02/26/t...
Save the Michaels is in trouble.
For one, the addiction services nonprofit will lose its county contracts next year, following a 2024 state audit that found fiscal mismanagement and repeated noncompliance.
In all, it will lose over $700,000 in funding.
www.investigativepost.org/2026/02/25/t...
NEW: Congressional leaders & others are calling for investigations into Border Patrol following the death of Nurul Shah Alam, a refugee left by agents at a coffee shop.
Shah Alam, nearly-blind, was left to wander the city. He died Tuesday.
www.investigativepost.org/2026/02/26/c...
Breaking: Nurul Amin Shah Alam has been confirmed dead by Buffalo police
He was found Tuesday evening downtown after he'd been missing for 6 days. Nearly blind, he'd been left at a coffee shop Thurs. evening by Border Patrol agents 5 miles from his home.
www.investigativepost.org/2026/02/25/b...
It's no secret Buffalo's Theater District is struggling.
But what should be done?
Join Investigative Post and a panel of key stakeholders March 24 for a wide-ranging discussion about the future of one of downtown's most important blocks. Tickets are just $10:
secure.qgiv.com/for/investig...
Breaking: A blind Burmese refugee named Nurul Shah Alam has been missing since Thurs. after Border Patrol agents dropped him off at a Tim Hortons, leaving him to find his own way home.
His family & lawyers weren't notified. They're seeking help to find him.
www.investigativepost.org/2026/02/24/b...
More immigrants are challenging their detention than ever before, ProPublica reports.
The surge in habeas cases follows a Trump administration rule requiring detention for immigrants who enter illegally.
Most federal judges are siding with immigrants:
www.investigativepost.org/2026/02/12/t...
New: In this week's Off the News column, editor Jim Heaney highlights Sean Ryan's big bailout for Buffalo in Albany.
Buffalo is set to get $40 million, pending state Legislature approval:
www.investigativepost.org/2026/02/23/r...
When the AMC movie theater closed, it was yet another blow to Buffalo's Theater District.
The block has been through ups and downs for decades. Join us next month for a wide-ranging discussion about its history & how to make it better.
www.investigativepost.org/2026/02/19/u...
Everyone knows about the ICE office at 250 Delaware Ave.
But we found more than a dozen other leases for agencies involved in the federal immigration crackdown in & around Buffalo.
Data shows those landlords are making millions each year:
See the list:
www.investigativepost.org/2026/02/20/l...
Breaking news: The Buffalo Police Department has suspended a D-District captain who met with Officer Lance Woods hours before he was charged with the murder of his wife.
Woods was arrested by suburban police officers hours later.
www.investigativepost.org/2026/02/18/p...
New: A new administration hasn’t changed how Buffalo spends opioid settlement funds.
An IP analysis found that law enforcement continues using the money for equipment and vehicle upgrades.
One policy expert called the spending "obviously inappropriate."
www.investigativepost.org/2026/02/17/5...
We were recently recognized for our transparency and credibility as a news outlet.
NewsGuard, an expert-led service that rates newsrooms on nine criteria — including accuracy and fairness in reporting— gave us a perfect score.
Read the full report:
www.investigativepost.org/2026/02/05/a...
Last year, the Trump administration mandated detention for thousands arrested by ICE, breaking from decades of precedent allowing release on bond while cases proceeded.
Now, immigrants are challenging their detention in record numbers.
By ProPublica:
www.investigativepost.org/2026/02/12/t...
In his latest Outrages & Insights column, editor Jim Heaney lays out the many reasons why Genesee County IDA’s push for a data center is wrong.
For one, it would cost $800 million in subsidies for only 125 jobs— roughly $6.4 million per job.
www.investigativepost.org/2026/02/10/d...
