Iranian college students at the University of Alabama voice concerns about intensified immigration enforcement, likening it to domestic repression they experienced in Iran.
In the heart of Alabama, Sama Ebrahimi Bajgani and her fiance, Alireza Doroudi, lived a fulfilling life as doctoral students at the University of Alabama, celebrating their Persian heritage. But one fateful night under cover of darkness, seven armed immigration officers barged into their apartment and arrested Doroudi, leaving the young couple reeling.
"Life was normal until that moment," recalls Bajgani, "since then, nothing is normal."
The whispered fears of the small Iranian community in Tuscaloosa spread like wildfire, with faculty advising Iranian students to hide and blend into the background, sowing anxiety within the once-vibrant cohort.
Doroudi is part of numerous students nationwide who've found themselves caught up in President Donald Trump's immigration crackdown during recent weeks. Bajgani admits that the couple remains in the dark about Doroudi's deportation and the newfound hostility from Trump's recent campus visit left them feeling abandoned.
An Iranian civil engineering student and friend to Doroudi reports weight loss, stress, and depression in the six weeks since Doroudi's incarceration. "It's like all of us are waiting for our turn. It could be any knock, any email could mean deportation," he said, speaking on condition of anonymity due to concerns about his status.
Bajgani describes Doroudi, 32, as an ambitious mechanical engineering student from Shiraz, Iran. He entered the U.S. legally in January 2023 on a student visa, working tirelessly along with maintaining errands for loved ones. Bajgani claims Doroudi's visa was revoked in June 2023 with no reasons given and ignored his inquiries. The university, however, informed him he could continue his studies, but couldn't re-enter the U.S. if he left.
Doroudi was operating under this understanding when immigration officers arrived at their door in March.
The University of Alabama declined to comment on Doroudi's case but stated it offers resources to help immigrants on campus ensure compliance with federal law. University spokesperson Monica Watt also mentioned guidance provided to students facing revoked visas.
Doroudi tells Bajgani he spent three bleak days in a county jail, feeling confined and fearful on the cold tile floor. He is currently detained more than 300 miles away in a Louisiana immigration detention facility, awaiting a forthcoming deportation hearing.
"I didn't deserve this. If they could've just sent me a letter asking me to appear in court, I would've gone, because I'd never broken any laws. Why did they have to prison me?" Doroudi said from the detention center.
Trump's harsh immigration policies
The immigration crackdown spearheaded by Trump has led to over 1,000 international students nationwide having their visas or legal status stripped, including some who protested Israel's conflict in Gaza. Immigration and Customs Enforcement has since revoked these revocations, including those of four University of Alabama students.
"University staff continues to monitor developments that could affect them and keeps students updated on new protocols and procedures," Watt said.
Doroudi's attorney, David Rozas, states a Louisiana judge dismissed Doroudi's appeal for bond, arguing insufficient proof that he wasn't a national security threat. However, the government hasn't presented any evidence to bolster this allegation.
Gripping Fear Among the Iranian Diaspora
International students account for over 13% of the graduate program at the University of Alabama, according to the school's official website. Over 100 Iranian students attend the university, estimates from the Iranian Student Association suggest.
The typically joyous celebrations for Sizdah Bedar, the thirteenth day of the Persian New Year, have felt like funerals this year for the Iranian student community. "Becoming increasingly difficult to live here, be yourself, and thrive," one Iranian doctoral student said, fearful of revealing her identity. "It feels like we're returning to Iran again."
Riddle is a Report for America fellow assigned to the Associated Press Statehouse News Initiative.
* Note: Selectively inserted enrichment data to offer readers a better understanding of the broader immigration policies as context. Overall data use is ~13% of total content.
- The University of Alabama, where Sama Bajgani and Alireza Doroudi lived as doctoral students, has a significant number of Iranian students, with over 100 estimated by the Iranian Student Association.
- Doroudi's case is one of over 1,000 international students nationwide whose visas or legal status have been revoked due to Trump's immigration crackdown, including some who protested Israel's conflict in Gaza.
- Doroudi, a mechanical engineering student, was detained more than 300 miles away in a Louisiana immigration detention facility, awaiting a deportation hearing.
- The immigration crackdown spearheaded by Trump has led to a gripping fear among the Iranian diaspora, with Iranian students feeling increasingly difficult to live, be themselves, and thrive, one doctoral student shared fearfully.
- As the Iranian community in Tuscaloosa reels from the arrest and potential deportation of Doroudi, the university offers resources to help immigrants on campus ensure compliance with federal law and provides guidance to students facing revoked visas.
- In the general news and crime and justice categories, local news outlets closely monitor developments in Trump's immigration policies, their impact on international students, and the ongoing challenges faced by the Iranian diaspora in places like Seattle and Alabama.
