Key Takeaways
• On March 25, 2025, Alireza Doroudi, a University of Alabama Iranian PhD student, was detained by ICE over unsubstantiated national security concerns.
• Following his arrest, Doroudi was transferred to an ICE facility in Jena, Louisiana, with an immigration hearing set for April 2025.
• Recent U.S. policy changes, like Executive Order 14188, have increased visa revocations and detentions, disproportionately affecting international students from specific countries.
On March 25, 2025, Alireza Doroudi, a doctoral student at the University of Alabama, became the latest international scholar to face detention by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). The 32-year-old Iranian mechanical engineering student was arrested at his home in Alabama under allegations of posing “significant national security concerns.” However, ICE has not publicly presented any evidence supporting these claims. Doroudi’s case has already sparked conversations about the treatment of international students in the United States, especially following a series of similar detentions tied to recent shifts in immigration policy.
What Happened to Alireza Doroudi?
According to his attorney, David Rozas, Doroudi’s arrest surprised both him and those who know him. Rozas stated that there is no evidence to suggest Doroudi engaged in actions that could justify such drastic measures as detention. Furthermore, Doroudi has not been involved in campus protests nor committed any known visa violations. Despite his visa being revoked in 2023, presumably for reasons related to security allegations, he had continued his doctoral studies without interference until now.
Following his arrest, Doroudi was initially detained in Pickens County Jail, Alabama. Soon after, plans were made to transfer him to a larger ICE facility in Jena, Louisiana—a site increasingly used for holding immigrant detainees, including international students. By March 28, 2025, Doroudi was awaiting his immigration hearing scheduled for early April, with his legal team voicing concerns regarding the effects prolonged detention might have on his academic pursuits and future career options.
Jena, Louisiana: A Growing Hub for ICE Detention
The ICE detention facility in Jena, Louisiana, is now one of the central locations for housing individuals accused of immigration infractions or security threats. Students, such as Doroudi, who face allegations regarding their immigration status, are often transferred to this site. The facility has drawn attention for holding detainees for extended periods and for the limited transparency surrounding the circumstances of their detention. Immigration advocates have questioned how the facility operates, particularly in cases involving international students like Doroudi.
A Rising Trend: Targeting International Students
Doroudi’s experience is not an isolated event but part of a broader pattern of heightened enforcement targeting students from specific countries, like Iran 🇮🇷, Lebanon 🇱🇧, and Turkey 🇹🇷, among others. In recent years, ICE has been using visa revocations and subsequent detentions to address perceived security threats, even when little or no evidence is publicly disclosed. Critics have pointed out that these actions erode the due process rights of international students while casting doubt on the fairness of enforcement measures.
Students suspected of activities related to geopolitically charged or politically sensitive matters have been prominently targeted. Allegations of links to organizations deemed to be terrorist entities by the U.S. government are common; yet, the lack of transparency often leaves students and their attorneys struggling to mount effective defenses. Even lawful forms of political expression, such as participation in campus demonstrations, have reportedly triggered visa revocations or detentions in some cases.
Cases Similar to Alireza Doroudi’s Detention
Other recent cases reveal how widespread and complex this issue has become:
- Mahmoud Khalil, a Columbia University graduate student and lawful permanent resident, was detained on March 8, 2025, for alleged inconsistencies in his visa application. He was later sent to the same Jena, Louisiana detention facility currently holding Doroudi. Khalil’s attorneys argue his detention was politically motivated, stemming from his ties to the Palestinian refugee agency under the U.N.
- Rumeysa Ozturk, a Turkish doctoral student at Tufts University, was also detained on March 25, 2025, the same day as Doroudi. She was accused of having connections to Hamas, a claim her lawyers vehemently deny. No evidence to support these claims has been made public. Like Doroudi and Khalil, Ozturk was transferred to the Jena detention center.
Momodou Taal, a Gambian-British student at Cornell University, had his visa revoked after participating in Palestinian rights protests. Taal was detained as he contested his deportation. Despite legal intervention, including attempts to secure an emergency temporary restraining order, his removal from the U.S. now appears likely.
These instances collectively illustrate a trend of using immigration enforcement as a means to address not only security concerns but also politically charged agendas.
Role of Policies in Shaping Current Enforcement Trends
Current enforcement practices by ICE are closely tied to a specific shift in U.S. immigration policy. In early 2025, President Trump issued Executive Order 14188, which focused on addressing anti-Semitism within academic environments. However, critics argue that the order, alongside the removal of prior restrictions on immigration enforcement in universities and other “protected areas,” has been leveraged to monitor and detain international students with little oversight.
Under these new guidelines, visa revocations have been strategically used to detain individuals suspected of infractions or security threats. However, the practice raises many concerns. Revoking a visa retroactively—and on unclear grounds—complicates legal proceedings for the detainee. ICE does not always publicly disclose the reasons for such moves, making it hard for the affected parties to defend their cases.
Some analysts, including those at VisaVerge.com, have also linked these policy shifts to broader changes under the Trump administration, which continuously modified the U.S. approach toward foreign students in ways that many believe compromised the country’s status as a destination for global academic talent.
Impact on Universities and International Students
The detention of students like Doroudi affects not only the individuals detained but also the academic institutions they call home. At the University of Alabama, Doroudi’s absence from his program has undoubtedly disrupted ongoing research and projects. International students like him often play integral roles in their academic fields, and their sudden removal can leave significant gaps.
For the institutions themselves, these incidents create substantial uncertainties. On one hand, universities must provide adequate support to their students, ensuring access to appropriate legal counsel and advocacy. On the other hand, they must also navigate difficult relationships with federal agencies such as ICE, which is exercising stronger enforcement on politically charged student cases.
Additionally, these high-profile detentions may harm overall international enrollment. Examples like Doroudi’s can discourage prospective students from considering the United States as a viable academic destination. Other countries, such as Canada 🇨🇦, New Zealand 🇳🇿, and Germany 🇩🇪, where immigration rules offer greater clarity and stability, could become preferred alternatives. The long-term implications of such a shift could be devastating for American universities, whose global reputation hinges on their ability to attract and support diverse talent.
Balancing Enforcement and Individual Rights
The detentions have raised urgent questions about how to balance national security objectives with the need to uphold basic individual and constitutional rights. Nonprofit organizations, along with academic groups like the Middle East Studies Association and the American Association of University Professors, are actively challenging current policies. Legal complaints lodged by these and other groups argue that ICE’s actions undermine the U.S. Constitution and violate fundamental protections, such as freedom of speech.
Furthermore, repeated calls have been made to increase transparency when allegations are brought against international students. Advocates emphasize that immigrant scholars should be given fair opportunities to contest charges and present their cases before life-altering decisions, such as detention or deportation, are made.
Students, legal professionals, and advocacy organizations agree that greater safeguards and oversight are necessary. There are ongoing efforts to propose reforms that could protect individuals from abrupt, opaque actions like those seen in Doroudi’s case while ensuring legitimate security needs are addressed.
Final Thoughts
The detention of Alireza Doroudi underscores the challenges faced by international students and scholars in the current U.S. immigration system. His situation, coupled with the cases of Khalil, Ozturk, and others, reveals how immigration enforcement has expanded its reach into American academic life in recent years. As Doroudi awaits his upcoming hearing in April, his plight symbolizes the uncertainty and fear weighing on countless others pursuing their academic dreams in the United States. Whether such cases represent a temporary phase or a longer-term shift in U.S. policy will undoubtedly shape future global mobility trends and the U.S.’s reputation as a global leader in higher education.
For more information about current policies and immigration enforcement actions, visit the official U.S. ICE detention information page.
Learn Today
ICE (U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement) → A federal agency responsible for enforcing immigration laws, detaining individuals, and addressing national security threats.
Visa Revocation → The cancellation of a previously granted visa, often restricting an individual’s ability to remain or re-enter a country.
Executive Order 14188 → A policy issued to address anti-Semitism in academic environments, linked to increased immigration enforcement against international students.
Due Process Rights → Legal protections ensuring fair treatment in judicial and administrative processes, such as the right to contest accusations.
Detention Facility → A location where individuals are held by authorities, like ICE, while awaiting immigration hearings or other legal proceedings.
This Article in a Nutshell
The detention of Alireza Doroudi, an Iranian doctoral student, spotlights growing concerns over U.S. immigration policies targeting international scholars. Arrested without public evidence, his case highlights opaque practices, chilling academic freedom and global mobility. Critics warn these actions jeopardize America’s status as an educational hub, urging transparency and reforms to protect students’ rights.
— By VisaVerge.com
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