Alireza Doroudi, a doctoral student studying mechanical engineering at the University of Alabama, was detained by the U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement on the morning of March 25.

According to ICE, Doroudi was detained due to his F-1 student visa being revoked. Doroudi lost his visa status in 2023, and reached out to UA’s International Student and Scholar Services who told him that as long as he could continue to stay in the U.S. as long as he retained his student status. 

This mirrors the policy on ICE’s website, which says students “can stay in the United States on an expired F-1 visa as long as you maintain your student status.”

“ICE HSI made this arrest in accordance with the State Department’s revocation of Doroudi’s student visa,” the Department of Homeland Security said in a statement two days after Doroudi’s arrest. “This individual posed significant national security concerns.”

No further details were offered to clarify what threat Doroudi posed. Two graduate students at Columbia University and Tufts University were both arrested in March by ICE in connection with published political views that were critical of U.S. support of Israel.

In both cases, ICE stated that the students’ green cards were being revoked due to their support of Hamas, which has been classified as a terrorist organization. Neither student had made statements supporting Hamas, and attorneys for them deny any connection to their clients and the organization. 

In the case of Doroudi, no evidence has been presented that he participated in protest or publicly voiced support for pro-Palestinian groups. Students for Justice in Palestine at UA released a statement on social media stating that Doroudi “was not involved, nor has he ever been involved in any organizing or protests related to our organization.”

Doroudi’s fiancé, Sama Bajgani, told AL.com that ICE came at 3 a.m. to their apartment and took him into custody. Doroudi was then taken to Pickens County Jail, but has since been moved to the Jena/LaSalle Detention Facility in Louisiana. 

Following the arrest, Bajgani started a GoFundMe page to help cover legal expenses, which had raised $25,970 as of Monday, March 31. 

Alabama top stories in brief. 

Trump’s automobile tariff may impact Alabama’s car industry

• President Donald Trump signed an executive order on March 26 issuing a 25% tariff on imported automobiles and automotive parts, which will go into effect on April 2.

• U.S. Rep. Terri Sewell, D-Selma, and U.S. Rep. Shomari Figures, D-Mobile, whose districts both contain automotive plants, have disagreed with the tariff implementation, worried it will increase prices for consumers and lower production, which could cause job losses.

• CEO of Auto Drive America, Jennifer Safavian, reports that their business predictions indicate vehicle prices could increase up to 8% nationwide.

• Around 60% of imports to Alabama are for auto manufacturing, and the state is one of the top 5 in automotive exports nationwide, producing over 1 million vehicles each year and employing nearly 90,000 people.

Alabama House passes bill to require emergency rapid response systems in public schools

• On March 20, the Alabama House of Representatives approved HB 234, a bill that will require all public schools to adopt a rapid emergency response system and designate specific employees to be responsible for these mobile “panic buttons.”

• Rep. Russell Bedsole, R-Alabaster, raised concerns over the cost, saying a school in his district told him, “‘we would love to have one of those systems where we can just press a button, but we can’t afford it.’” Despite this, he said he is still supportive of the bill.

• If passed by the Senate, schools will be required to install these systems no later than Oct. 1, 2030.

Planned Medicaid cuts could cost Alabama over $800 million in funding

• Alabama is projected to lose up to $800 million in federal support for Medicaid if planned cuts by Republican lawmakers go forward according to a report by KFF, an independent health policy organization. 

• The chair of Alabama’s Senate Finance and Taxation General Fund committee, Sen. Greg Albritton, R-Atmore, described KFF’s estimates as worst case scenarios, but said regardless of the scale of the cuts, it would have a large impact. 

• Albritton said that Alabama’s Medicaid program might have to be scaled back to deal with the cuts. 

• Currently, Medicaid covers over 1 million residents in Alabama, including 57% of children and 68% of those living in nursing homes. 

Alabama State officials file motions to dismiss lawsuit challenging DEI ban

• State officials, which include the Alabama attorney general’s office, have filed motions to dismiss a lawsuit challenging SB129, which placed limits on diversity, equity and inclusion programs using state funding and limited the teaching of divisive concepts as defined by the bill. 

• The attorney general’s office argues that the plaintiffs’ claims “fail to show how each and every provision of the Act harms them.”

• The lawsuit was filed by a group of students and professors at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, who argue that the law infringes upon their free speech by restricting funding and spaces for minority groups. 

Announcements

• We’re excited to announce a new multi-media project launching in mid-April! The Alabama Spotlight will be a recurring series that will feature articles, podcast episodes and photos all focused on highlighting people, places and things unique to Alabama. Follow our social media for more updates!

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