The morning was still dark in Tuscaloosa when the knocking started. It was 5 a.m. on a Tuesday in late March 2025. For Alireza Doroudi, a doctoral candidate at the University of Alabama, that knock wasn't a neighbor or a friend. It was federal agents.
Within hours, the news hit the campus like a physical weight. University of Alabama spokesperson confirms doctoral student detained by ICE, the headlines read. But those dry, clinical words didn't even come close to capturing the panic that started rippling through the international student body at UA.
Honestly, the whole thing felt like a fever dream for the people who knew him. Doroudi wasn't some radical activist. He was a mechanical engineering student from Iran. He was months away from defending his dissertation. He was building a life, researching complex metallurgical engineering, and planning a future. Then, suddenly, he was just... gone.
The Official Line from Tuscaloosa
When the story first broke, everyone was looking to Rose Administration Building for answers. They didn't get many. Alex House, the associate director of media relations and a frequent University of Alabama spokesperson, eventually released a statement that felt surgically precise.
"The University of Alabama recently learned that a doctoral student has been detained off campus by federal immigration authorities," the statement began.
The university basically pointed to federal privacy laws as the reason they couldn't say much. They did emphasize that international students are "valued members" of the community. They mentioned that International Student and Scholar Services (ISSS) was there to help. But for the students watching their friend get hauled away, it felt hollow.
The university’s stance was clear: they would follow all immigration laws and "cooperate with federal authorities." That last part? That's what really stuck in the craw of the campus community.
👉 See also: Otay Ranch Fire Update: What Really Happened with the Border 2 Fire
National Security or Red Tape?
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) didn't stay quiet for long. They dropped a bombshell, claiming that ICE's Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) arrested Doroudi because he posed "significant national security concerns." That’s a heavy phrase. It implies plots, danger, something dark. But when Doroudi’s attorney, David Rozas, started digging, the "national security" narrative began to look a lot like a paperwork nightmare.
Here is the weird part: Doroudi had entered the U.S. in early 2023 on a valid F-1 visa. About six months later, the State Department revoked that visa. Why? They never really said. When Doroudi found out back then, he did exactly what you’re supposed to do—he went to the university's ISSS office.
According to group chat messages and reports from The Crimson White, the university told him he was fine. They basically said, "Don't worry, as long as you're a full-time student, your status is legal even if the visa stamp in your passport is revoked."
He believed them. He stayed. He studied. He worked. And then ICE showed up.
The Human Toll in Pickens County and Beyond
For a few days, Alireza was a ghost in the system. The ICE inmate locator just said "in custody" without a location. It eventually came out he was being held at the Pickens County Jail before being shipped off to a facility in Jena, Louisiana.
If you’ve never been to an immigration detention center, "bleak" is an understatement. His fiancé, Sama Ebrahimi Bajgani, had to watch from the outside. She started a GoFundMe that raised over $26,000 in a few days—a testament to how much people cared—but money doesn't buy your way out of a federal detention center when the government has labeled you a "threat."
✨ Don't miss: The Faces Leopard Eating Meme: Why People Still Love Watching Regret in Real Time
Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) at UA even had to put out a statement clarifying that Doroudi had zero involvement with them. Why? Because the government was simultaneously cracking down on pro-Palestine protesters at places like Tufts and Columbia. People were jumping to conclusions. But Alireza wasn't a protester. He was just a guy trying to finish his PhD.
A "Dagger Through the Heart"
The backlash on campus was intense. The UA College Democrats called the arrest a "cold, vicious dagger through the heart" of the international community. They weren't just being dramatic. For the hundreds of international students in Tuscaloosa, the message was: Your university cannot, or will not, protect you.
Even Senator Tommy Tuberville weighed in, taking a much harsher tone. He basically told reporters that if people are "breaking laws" on campus, it's "time to go home."
But was he breaking the law?
The Quiet End to a Loud Case
By May 2025, the "national security threat" narrative was falling apart. In court, DHS reportedly admitted that the document used to justify the arrest might have been misinterpreted. His lawyer noted that the DHS even indicated they might drop the charges.
But 45 days in a cell changes a person.
🔗 Read more: Whos Winning The Election Rn Polls: The January 2026 Reality Check
On May 8, 2025, Alireza Doroudi requested "voluntary departure." He told the judge, "I love this country, but they don't want me here, so I will go home."
He gave up his American dream. He left for Iran in June 2025, leaving his research and his degree unfinished. It wasn't a legal victory for the government; it was, as his lawyer called it, "attrition by detention."
Lessons for International Students
If you are a student on an F-1 or J-1 visa, this story is a cautionary tale. You cannot simply rely on "verbal" or "confident" advice from a university office when it comes to visa revocations.
What you should do right now:
- Check your SEVIS record: Don't just look at the paper in your hand. Make sure the digital record matches your actual status.
- Get a second opinion: If you receive a notice from the State Department or DHS, talk to an independent immigration attorney. University advisors are great, but they ultimately represent the institution, not you.
- Document everything: If a school official tells you your status is "fine" after a revocation, get that in writing. Email is your best friend.
- Know your rights: You do not have to let ICE into your home without a judicial warrant signed by a judge. An administrative warrant (signed by an ICE official) does not give them the right to enter a private residence without consent.
The case of Alireza Doroudi shows that even at a major institution like the University of Alabama, the line between "valued student" and "detainee" is thinner than anyone wants to admit.
Actionable Insight: If you or someone you know is facing immigration issues while enrolled in a U.S. university, prioritize contacting organizations like the ACLU or the National Iranian American Council (NIAC) early. They often provide resources and legal referrals that go beyond what a university's internal services can offer during a federal crackdown. Keep a "clean" digital footprint and maintain copies of all immigration correspondence in a secure, cloud-based folder accessible by a trusted person outside the country.