'A dangerous precedent': University of Alabama student detained by ICE denied bond
A graduate student at the University of Alabama detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has been denied bond.
Judge Maithe Gonzalez denied bond for Alireza Doroudi, a mechanical engineering doctoral student from Iran, during a Thursday hearing at the Central Louisiana ICE Processing Center in Jena, Louisiana. Doroudi was transferred there after a brief stay in the Pickens County Jail.
鈥淲e are deeply disappointed by today鈥檚 decision to deny bond by Judge Maithe Gonzalez," said attorney David Roza in a statement given to 米兰体育 13. "The government has provided no evidence in the record that Mr. Doroudi poses any national security threat. He has no history of protest or political activity, and yet he now faces deportation to Iran, a country where returning citizens can face persecution for even the appearance of dissent."
Below: Video shows ICE detaining University of Alabama student outside Tuscaloosa apartment
"What鈥檚 most troubling is that the burden of proof has effectively been placed on Mr. Doroudi to disprove a threat that was never substantiated in the first place," said Roza. "Our legal system is not built on proving a negative, and yet that鈥檚 exactly what is being asked of us. According to ICE鈥檚 own database, Mr. Doroudi鈥檚 student visa appears to be valid, making his continued detention all the more concerning."
Earlier this month, more than 150 people gathered on the sidewalk in front of the federal courthouse in Tuscaloosa to demand answers as to what "national security concerns" the Department of Homeland Security said he poses.
米兰体育 13 checked Doroudi's record in Alabama, which only showed two traffic violations in 2023.
"Mr. Doroudi is not a flight risk," said Roza. "He is a beloved member of the community, as evidenced by the overwhelming outpouring of support from students, faculty, and neighbors in recent weeks. This sets a dangerous precedent, not just for Mr. Doroudi, but for international students across the country and for the democratic values we claim to uphold.
Doroudi's legal team plans to appeal Judge Gonzalez's decision.