Latest news with #AlirezaDoroudi
Yahoo
4 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Alireza Doroudi flies back to Iran 3 months after being detained by ICE outside University of Alabama
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (WIAT) — Alireza Doroudi, a mechanical engineering student who was a year away from finishing his doctorate degree at the University of Alabama, has left the country and gone back home to Iran, three months after immigration officers took him from his apartment in Tuscaloosa and held him in a detention facility in Louisiana. Doroudi, 32, left the Central Louisiana ICE Processing Center in Jena, Louisiana over the weekend and left the United States on Sunday, his attorney confirmed to CBS 42 Monday. Prior to the weekend, Doroudi had been held by ICE for 68 days, beginning on March 25, when several officers went to his apartment in the early morning hours to detain him on charges of living in the country on a revoked visa. From there, he was held in detention in Louisiana with 1,200 other people. Despite being labeled a national security risk by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, prosecutors never provided any evidence to back up their claims. In addition, attorney David Rozas said Doroudi's SEVIS status was still clear and he could have legally remained in the country as long as he remained a student. On May 8, Doroudi told the immigration court that he would deport himself back to Iran, his attorneys and family later citing the physical, mental and emotional drain being in detainment had caused him over several months. Rozas, who has defended Doroudi since his arrest, released the following statement Monday morning: 'Yesterday, June 1, 2025, Alireza Doroudi left the United States to return to Iran. His choice was made in response to a system that failed to uphold fairness, transparency, and due process. 'For weeks, Mr. Doroudi was held in detention without any substantiated evidence presented to justify the initial claims of national security concerns. Despite having no history of protest or political activity, and despite documentation indicating that his F-1 student visa remained valid until departure, Mr. Doroudi was denied bond and subjected to legal proceedings riddled with delay and contradiction. 'Following his May 8 hearing before Judge Maithe Gonzalez, Mr. Doroudi made the difficult decision to request voluntary departure. It was a heartbreaking moment. He turned and said, 'I love this country, but they don't want me here so I will go home.' 'At that hearing, even the Department of Homeland Security acknowledged that the central charge of visa revocation did not apply while he remained in the United States, and indicated their intent to drop the charge altogether. Yet, the court delayed action, requiring additional filings despite repeated requests and mounting evidence in his favor. 'Mr. Doroudi's return is a warning. When individuals are detained without evidence, forced to disprove unfounded allegations, and pressured to leave a country they sought to contribute to, we must ask: What message are we sending to international students? To immigrant communities? To those who believe in the promise of American justice? 'This was not justice. This was attrition by detention. And it should never have come to this. 'As a defense lawyer, I remain committed to seeking accountability for the failures that led to this outcome, and to ensuring that what happened to Mr. Doroudi does not happen again.' Doroudi, who is engaged and was in the middle of planning his wedding at the time of his arrest, was expected to complete his degree from UA next year. In fact, a research paper he co-wrote with different colleagues, 'A review of the effects of laser peening on creep properties,' was published in April while he was locked up. Attempts to reach Doroudi were not successful Monday. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Time of India
10-05-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Iranian pupil to self-deport despite dropped charge
Alireza Doroudi with his fiancee. He was detained by immigration officials in March and was held at a facility in Louisiana for six weeks. His visa was revoked in June 2023 (AP photo) MONTGOMERY : An Iranian mechanical engineering student at University of Alabama has decided to self-deport after six weeks in a Louisiana detention centre despite govt dropping a charge behind his initial arrest, his lawyer and fiancee said. Alireza Doroudi was detained by immigration officials in March and has been held at a facility in Louisiana, over 300 miles from where he lived with his fiancee in Alabama. At the time, the state department said Doroudi posed "significant national security concerns." Doroudi's lawyer, David Rozas, said govt hasn't offered evidence to support the claim. Doroudi's visa was revoked in June 2023. Officials did not give a reason and ignored numerous inquiries, his fiancee, Sama Ebrahimi Bajgani , said. Operation Sindoor India's air defence systems shoot down Pak drones in J&K, Punjab & Rajasthan India-Pakistan tensions: Delhi airport issues travel advisory Operation Sindoor: Multiple explosions heard at several Pakistan air bases The university told Doroudi he was legally allowed to stay but would not be allowed to re-enter if he left. This spring, govt filed two charges against Doroudi to justify deporting him, saying his visa was revoked and he was not "in status" as a student, Rozas said. On Thursday, a govt attorney withdrew the first of those and said the visa revocation was "prudential", meaning it would not go into effect until after he leaves the country. A state department spokesperson declined to comment on the case, including Rozas' characterisation of the initial arrest as an error. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Google Brain Co-Founder Andrew Ng, Recommends: Read These 5 Books And Turn Your Life Around Blinkist: Andrew Ng's Reading List Undo The judge in the case gave both sides until the end of May to refile motions and denied Doroudi's plea to redetermine eligibility for bond. Doroudi decided to give up rather than continue to fight deportation. "He told me if they let him go out, there was a good chance he would have fought his case for the sake of other students and for the sake of himself," Bajgani said. She echoed Rozas' confusion about why Doroudi was targeted, saying he had no criminal record, entered the US legally and was not politically outspoken like others who have been targeted.
CNN
09-05-2025
- Politics
- CNN
Iranian student in Alabama to self-deport despite withdrawal of initial charge behind his arrest
An Iranian mechanical engineering student at the University of Alabama has decided to self-deport after six weeks in a Louisiana detention center despite the government dropping a charge behind his initial arrest, his lawyer and fiancee said. Alireza Doroudi was detained by immigration officials in March as part of President Donald Trump's widespread immigration crackdown and has been held at a facility in Jena, Louisiana, over 300 miles from where he lived with his fiancee in Alabama. At the time the State Department said Doroudi posed 'significant national security concerns.' Doroudi's lawyer, David Rozas, said the government has not offered any evidence to support that claim, however. Doroudi's visa was revoked in June 2023. Officials did not give a reason and ignored numerous inquiries from him that year, according to his fiancee, Sama Ebrahimi Bajgani. Back then the University of Alabama advised Doroudi that he was legally allowed to stay but would not be allowed to re-enter if he left, Bajgani added. This spring the government filed two charges against Doroudi to justify deporting him, saying his visa was revoked and he was not 'in status' as a student, Rozas said. On Thursday a US government attorney withdrew the first of those and said the visa revocation was 'prudential,' meaning it would not go into effect until after he leaves the country — in line with what the university told Doroudi earlier. Rozas said he has submitted evidence disputing the remaining accusation, that he is not an active student. A State Department spokesperson declined to comment on the case, including Rozas' characterization of the initial arrest as an error. The judge in the case, Maithe Gonzalez, gave both sides until the end of May to refile motions and denied Doroudi's request to redetermine eligibility for bond. Doroudi decided to give up rather than continue to fight deportation. 'He told me that if they let him to go out, there was a good chance that he would have fought his case for the sake of other students and for the sake of himself,' Bajgani said afterward by phone. 'They just want to make him tired so he can deport himself.' Bajgani, who drove 11 hours round-trip to attend the hourlong hearing, echoed Rozas' confusion about why Doroudi was targeted for deportation, saying he has no criminal record, entered the country legally and was not politically outspoken like other students who have been targeted. She affectionately described her fiance as a 'nerd' and 'a really big thinker' who spends long days in the lab and enjoys anime. He does not deserve what happened to him, she said, and now the life they built in Alabama is over. 'I am not happy about the whole thing that happened to us, and I need time to grieve for what I am going to put behind and leave,' Bajgani said. 'All the dreams, friendships and dreams we had with each other.' In a letter to Bajgani from behind bars in April, Doroudi called his detention a 'pure injustice.' 'I didn't cause any trouble in this country,' he said. 'I didn't enter illegally. I followed all the legal paths.' Rozas said he has not seen such a case in his 21 years as an immigration attorney. He accused authorities of denying his client due process and forcing him to choose between indefinite detention and self-deporting. 'I'm absolutely devastated,' Rozas said, 'and I think it's a travesty of justice.'
CNN
09-05-2025
- Politics
- CNN
Iranian student in Alabama to self-deport despite withdrawal of initial charge behind his arrest
The Middle East Immigration Student lifeFacebookTweetLink Follow An Iranian mechanical engineering student at the University of Alabama has decided to self-deport after six weeks in a Louisiana detention center despite the government dropping a charge behind his initial arrest, his lawyer and fiancee said. Alireza Doroudi was detained by immigration officials in March as part of President Donald Trump's widespread immigration crackdown and has been held at a facility in Jena, Louisiana, over 300 miles from where he lived with his fiancee in Alabama. At the time the State Department said Doroudi posed 'significant national security concerns.' Doroudi's lawyer, David Rozas, said the government has not offered any evidence to support that claim, however. Doroudi's visa was revoked in June 2023. Officials did not give a reason and ignored numerous inquiries from him that year, according to his fiancee, Sama Ebrahimi Bajgani. Back then the University of Alabama advised Doroudi that he was legally allowed to stay but would not be allowed to re-enter if he left, Bajgani added. This spring the government filed two charges against Doroudi to justify deporting him, saying his visa was revoked and he was not 'in status' as a student, Rozas said. On Thursday a US government attorney withdrew the first of those and said the visa revocation was 'prudential,' meaning it would not go into effect until after he leaves the country — in line with what the university told Doroudi earlier. Rozas said he has submitted evidence disputing the remaining accusation, that he is not an active student. A State Department spokesperson declined to comment on the case, including Rozas' characterization of the initial arrest as an error. The judge in the case, Maithe Gonzalez, gave both sides until the end of May to refile motions and denied Doroudi's request to redetermine eligibility for bond. Doroudi decided to give up rather than continue to fight deportation. 'He told me that if they let him to go out, there was a good chance that he would have fought his case for the sake of other students and for the sake of himself,' Bajgani said afterward by phone. 'They just want to make him tired so he can deport himself.' Bajgani, who drove 11 hours round-trip to attend the hourlong hearing, echoed Rozas' confusion about why Doroudi was targeted for deportation, saying he has no criminal record, entered the country legally and was not politically outspoken like other students who have been targeted. She affectionately described her fiance as a 'nerd' and 'a really big thinker' who spends long days in the lab and enjoys anime. He does not deserve what happened to him, she said, and now the life they built in Alabama is over. 'I am not happy about the whole thing that happened to us, and I need time to grieve for what I am going to put behind and leave,' Bajgani said. 'All the dreams, friendships and dreams we had with each other.' In a letter to Bajgani from behind bars in April, Doroudi called his detention a 'pure injustice.' 'I didn't cause any trouble in this country,' he said. 'I didn't enter illegally. I followed all the legal paths.' Rozas said he has not seen such a case in his 21 years as an immigration attorney. He accused authorities of denying his client due process and forcing him to choose between indefinite detention and self-deporting. 'I'm absolutely devastated,' Rozas said, 'and I think it's a travesty of justice.'
CNN
09-05-2025
- Politics
- CNN
Iranian student in Alabama to self-deport despite withdrawal of initial charge behind his arrest
The Middle East Immigration Student life FacebookTweetLink An Iranian mechanical engineering student at the University of Alabama has decided to self-deport after six weeks in a Louisiana detention center despite the government dropping a charge behind his initial arrest, his lawyer and fiancee said. Alireza Doroudi was detained by immigration officials in March as part of President Donald Trump's widespread immigration crackdown and has been held at a facility in Jena, Louisiana, over 300 miles from where he lived with his fiancee in Alabama. At the time the State Department said Doroudi posed 'significant national security concerns.' Doroudi's lawyer, David Rozas, said the government has not offered any evidence to support that claim, however. Doroudi's visa was revoked in June 2023. Officials did not give a reason and ignored numerous inquiries from him that year, according to his fiancee, Sama Ebrahimi Bajgani. Back then the University of Alabama advised Doroudi that he was legally allowed to stay but would not be allowed to re-enter if he left, Bajgani added. This spring the government filed two charges against Doroudi to justify deporting him, saying his visa was revoked and he was not 'in status' as a student, Rozas said. On Thursday a US government attorney withdrew the first of those and said the visa revocation was 'prudential,' meaning it would not go into effect until after he leaves the country — in line with what the university told Doroudi earlier. Rozas said he has submitted evidence disputing the remaining accusation, that he is not an active student. A State Department spokesperson declined to comment on the case, including Rozas' characterization of the initial arrest as an error. The judge in the case, Maithe Gonzalez, gave both sides until the end of May to refile motions and denied Doroudi's request to redetermine eligibility for bond. Doroudi decided to give up rather than continue to fight deportation. 'He told me that if they let him to go out, there was a good chance that he would have fought his case for the sake of other students and for the sake of himself,' Bajgani said afterward by phone. 'They just want to make him tired so he can deport himself.' Bajgani, who drove 11 hours round-trip to attend the hourlong hearing, echoed Rozas' confusion about why Doroudi was targeted for deportation, saying he has no criminal record, entered the country legally and was not politically outspoken like other students who have been targeted. She affectionately described her fiance as a 'nerd' and 'a really big thinker' who spends long days in the lab and enjoys anime. He does not deserve what happened to him, she said, and now the life they built in Alabama is over. 'I am not happy about the whole thing that happened to us, and I need time to grieve for what I am going to put behind and leave,' Bajgani said. 'All the dreams, friendships and dreams we had with each other.' In a letter to Bajgani from behind bars in April, Doroudi called his detention a 'pure injustice.' 'I didn't cause any trouble in this country,' he said. 'I didn't enter illegally. I followed all the legal paths.' Rozas said he has not seen such a case in his 21 years as an immigration attorney. He accused authorities of denying his client due process and forcing him to choose between indefinite detention and self-deporting. 'I'm absolutely devastated,' Rozas said, 'and I think it's a travesty of justice.'
