Title: Fear Grips Iranian Students at University of Alabama Amid Immigration Crackdown
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — The recent arrest of Alireza Doroudi following a celebration of the Persian New Year has sent shockwaves through the Iranian student community at the University of Alabama. Doraudi, a 32-year-old mechanical engineering student, was apprehended by armed immigration officers at dawn, altering his fiancée Sama Ebrahimi Bajgani’s life entirely.
Doroudi, who entered the U.S. legally in January 2023, has now been detained for weeks without clear explanation for his visa revocation, which occurred in June. The couple feels abandoned by the university, especially after President Trump’s recent visit—underscoring what Bajgani describes as a lack of awareness regarding their crisis.
The ripple effects of Doroudi’s detention have led to an atmosphere of fear among fellow Iranian students, many of whom have been advised to “lay low.” One student, citing the stress of potential deportation, reported a significant weight loss and avoidance of unnecessary outings. “It feels like we’re waiting for our turn,” he lamented.
Doroudi’s plight is part of a broader trend, with over 1,000 international students across the U.S. having their visas revoked under Trump’s immigration policies. Legal experts have criticized the lack of evidence against Doroudi, with his lawyer calling the situation “flabbergasting.”
Despite the university’s assurance that it values international students, the mood among the Iranian community has shifted dramatically. Once a space for celebration, their gatherings now feel mournful. "It’s becoming too hard to be living here and thrive,” shared one doctoral student, reflecting the pervasive fear that echoes back to Iran.
With Doroudi still awaiting a deportation hearing in a Louisiana detention facility, the Iranian students in Tuscaloosa confront an uncertain and troubling future.
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