Iranian Doctoral Student Detained In US Amid Trump's University Crackdown

Federal immigration authorities arrested an Iranian doctorate student at the University of Alabama, the school and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) records stated on Wednesday, March 27.

The school did not identify the student, but online Immigration and Customs Enforcement records showed that the agency seized Alireza Doroudi, an Iranian national, The New York Times reported.

Doctoral student Alireza Doroudi is being held at the Pickens County Jail, which has been authorised to house ICE inmates, the jail told WVTM 13. He is expected to be transferred to an immigration detention centre in Jena, Louisiana.

A Department of Homeland Security official said that Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers "made this arrest in accordance with the State Department's revocation of Doroudi's student visa."

"This individual posed significant national security concerns," they added.

University authorities stated to WVTM 13 that they knew a PhD student "detained off campus by federal immigration authorities" but did not reveal his identity or any other information, citing federal privacy regulations.

International students are "valued members of the campus community," the university said, before adding, "International Student and Scholar Services are available to assist international students who have questions."

Alireza Doroudi was on a nonimmigrant F-1 student visa in 2023 when he entered the country legally, but the visa got cancelled six months after his arrival, The Crimson White reported.

According to his LinkedIn profile, he was specialising in metallurgical engineering. He said last year that he was "thrilled to share" his first paper as a PhD candidate.

Alireza Doroudi now has to ask a federal judge for refuge or bail while he fights his case.

Federal court records revealed that Alireza Doroudi has not been charged with any criminal crimes. Attorney David Rozas told ABC News that the student has "not been arrested for any crime, nor has he participated in any anti-government protests."

This is one of the most recent arrests made by Donald Trump's administration targeting overseas students. The Trump administration has targeted over half a dozen students in recent weeks, including this one.

The reason behind Alireza Doroudi's targeting remained unresolved, and U.S. immigration officials did not immediately answer enquiries on Wednesday night.

Recently, Rumeysa Ozturk, a Turkish doctorate student on a student visa at Tufts University in Massachusetts, was arrested by the federal government.

In an email sent Tuesday evening to students, faculty, and staff, Tufts University President Sunil Kumar stated that Tufts management had been informed that the student's visa had been revoked.

Federal immigration officials detained Mahmoud Khalil, a Columbia University graduate and pro-Palestinian campus protest leader in New York, earlier this month. Mahmoud Khalil has permanent US residency.

The Trump administration has called Mr Khalil's comments antisemitic and suggested that he should be deported, but he has not been charged with any offences.

The Department of Homeland Security also arrested a second student, Leqaa Korda, who was a member of the Columbia University protests.

Homeland Security Investigations agents detained Korda in 2024 on suspicion of exceeding the duration of her expired visa, which ended on January 26, 2022.