Alabama lawyer: Arrested Iranian student was allowed to stay in US, didn’t participate in campus ‘anti-government protests’

An Iranian doctoral student at the University of Alabama was arrested by immigration agents at his apartment in the middle of the night, even though his lawyer says he was allowed to stay in the country and — unlike some students targeted for deportation — never participated in campus “anti-government protests.”

Alireza Doroudi, 32, was picked up because his visa was revoked in 2023, one of the few points of agreement between US officials and the student’s representatives.

David Rozas, a lawyer for Doroudi, says he doesn’t know why his client’s visa was revoked but that he could stay in the United States while he remained a student, a status that immigration attorneys say is somewhat common.

“He has not been arrested for any crime, nor has he participated in any anti-government protests. He is legally present in the US, pursuing his American dream by working towards his doctorate in mechanical engineering,” Rozas says.

The Department of Homeland Security says that immigration officials acted on the State Department’s visa revocation.

“This individual posed significant national security concerns,” the department says. Officials decline to elaborate when asked why he is considered a threat. Rozas says he has not been informed of any allegations of security issues involving Doroudi.

Doroudi has an immigration hearing in early April, according to his attorney, who worries that Doroudi’s inability to attend school will result in his loss of student status. Publicly available Alabama court records show he was cited for speeding/reckless driving in November 2023, but no other legal entanglements.