In the early hours following a vibrant celebration of the Persian New Year at the University of Alabama, Sama Ebrahimi Bajgani and her fiancé, Alireza Doroudi, found their lives disrupted.
Seven armed immigration officers arrived at their residence, leading to Doroudi’s arrest. This unexpected incident shattered their daily life.
“I was experiencing a normal life until that night. Afterwards, nothing feels normal,” Bajgani recounted.
The news of Doroudi’s arrest quickly circulated among the small Iranian community in Tuscaloosa. Bajgani and Doroudi are both doctoral students, and the incident created a climate of unease among other Iranian students.
Faculty informally advised these students to remain inconspicuous, injecting fear into an otherwise lively group.
Doroudi’s situation isn’t isolated. He’s part of a larger group of students across the U.S. affected by the ongoing immigration enforcement under President Trump’s administration. Bajgani remains puzzled as to why Doroudi, who has no criminal history nor political involvements, faces deportation. She pointed out that Trump’s recent campus visit made it seem as if the university was disconnecting from the crisis enveloping its community.
A close friend and fellow civil engineering student confided that the stress from Doroudi’s detention has led to significant weight loss and anxiety. “Every knock or email could herald deportation,” he said, speaking anonymously due to fears about his own visa status.
He revealed his newfound caution in daily activities, recounting a car accident where he pleaded with the other driver not to involve the police, fearing potential ramifications.
Bajgani portrays Doroudi, 32, as an industrious mechanical engineering student from Shiraz, Iran.
Legally entering the United States on a student visa in January 2023, Doroudi balanced 60-hour work weeks with personal obligations. “If someone with his drive cannot reach the success they deserve, then the American dream loses its meaning,” Bajgani expressed.
His student visa was annulled in June 2023 without explanation, and his queries were ignored by the embassy. The university informed him that he could remain as long as he stayed enrolled, though leaving the U.S. meant he couldn’t return.
Following that advice, they were living when immigration officers abruptly intervened in March.
The University of Alabama did not comment directly on Doroudi’s case but stated it provides resources and guidance to assist immigrant students with legal compliance and visa issues. “Our international students are valued members of our campus community,” said Monica Watts, a university spokesperson, in a statement.
Doroudi recounted his experience of spending three harrowing days in a county jail, sleeping on the floor in constant anxiety.
He is currently detained in a Louisiana facility, over 300 miles from Tuscaloosa, awaiting a deportation hearing. At least one more international student of high profile faces similar circumstances.
Doroudi maintains his innocence in a letter dictated to Bajgani over the phone, expressing disbelief at being jailed without due cause. “A simple court summons would have sufficed,” he noted. “I abided by all their regulations.”
The intensified immigration measures under the Trump administration have led to over 1,000 international students having their visas or legal residency status revoked since late March. This includes those who participated in protests against Israel’s actions in Gaza. Recently, Immigration and Customs Enforcement reversed these actions, reinstating the visas of some students, including four from the University of Alabama.
Monica Watts assured the university’s commitment to monitoring policy changes affecting international students and updating them on new protocols.
Doroudi’s lawyer, David Rozas, expressed shock when a Louisiana judge denied Doroudi bond, citing insufficient evidence that Doroudi wasn’t a threat to national security, despite the lack of substantial government evidence supporting such claims.
The atmosphere of fear is palatable among international students, who make up a significant portion of the University of Alabama’s graduate program. Iranian students, numbering over 100, typically convene for Sizdah Bedar, a joyous Persian holiday. This year, however, it felt somber, with moments of silence falling when a police vehicle passed by.
“It’s becoming increasingly difficult to live here, stay true to oneself, and excel,” shared an Iranian doctoral student, wishing for anonymity due to fear of retaliation. Having previously criticized the Iranian regime, she now finds herself questioning her safety even in Alabama, drawing parallels between her current environment and the uncertainties of returning to Iran. “It’s as if we’re being transported back to Iran,” she lamented.