University of Alabama student detained by immigration authorities

​​A student at the University of Alabama (UA) was taken into custody by federal immigration authorities Tuesday, according to a university spokesperson.

The university did not name the student because “federal privacy laws [that] limit what can be shared about an individual student.” Alex House, a spokesperson for UA, said in the statement that international students are “valued members” of the university, but that UA will continue to cooperate with immigration officials. 

House did not respond to questions about whether the university is assisting the student or the family with legal assistance.

“UA has and will continue to follow all immigration laws and cooperate with federal authorities,” House said in a media statement.

The student’s identity was not shared by the university, but Crimson White, the university’s student-run newspaper, reported Wednesday evening that Alireza Doroudi was detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) early Tuesday morning.

According to ICE detainee locator as of Thursday morning, Doroudi is “in ICE custody,” but it does not list the current detention facility. House also did not respond to whether UA is trying to locate the student but a person at the Pickens County Jail confirmed late Thursday morning that he was being held at the facility and should be transported to an ICE facility in the next couple of days, though they declined to provide their identity.

It’s unclear why Doroudi was detained, but Christian Martin, a student organizer with Students for Justice in Palestine, said in a statement that Doroudi had no involvement with the organization or the protests related to the organization.

“We recognize that there is minimal information about the cause for M. Doroudi’s detainment,” Martin said in a statement, adding that “Doroudi was not nor has ever been involved with Students for Justice in Palestine.”

International students across the country have been detained by ICE in recent weeks. Mahmoud Khalil, a Columbia student, was detained by immigration officials in early March for his role in negotiations with the university over protests due to the war in Gaza. Rumeysa Ozturk, a Tufts University student, was taken Tuesday night by immigration officials who had their faces covered. One resident who witnessed Ozturk said it looked like a “kidnapping.” Barnard College student Yunseo Chung was also detained after she participated in the protests against the war. Chung has sued to prevent deportation.

According to the Alabama Commission on Higher Education, 1,207 international students were enrolled at the University of Alabama in Fall 2024.

Reporter Anna Barrett contributed to this report.

This story was updated at 11:03 a.m. to include Alireza Doroudi is being held at the Pickens County Jail and with information on international students in Alabama. This story was the updated at 3:25 p.m. with comment from Students for Justice in Palestine and at 4:56 p.m. clarifying that the reasons around Doroudi’s detainment are unclear.