Immigration judge denies bond for Alabama student Alireza Doroudi month after being picked up by ICE agents in Tuscaloosa

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (WIAT) — A student from Iran who had been studying mechanical engineering at the University of Alabama before being picked up by immigration officers last month, will remain in custody a little while longer after a judge denied bond for him.

Alireza Doroudi, 32, was in court Thursday for a bond hearing at LaSalle Immigration Court, located in the Central Louisiana ICE Processing Center in Jena, Louisiana. He was originally due for a hearing on Monday, but Judge Maithe Gonzalez requested more information from U.S. Department of Homeland Security and Doroudi’s attorneys

before making a decision.

According to Sama Ebrahimi Bajgani, Doroudi’s fiancee who was at the hearing, Gonzalez denied Doroudi’s bond request. He and his attorney, David Rozas, are appealing the decision and will have another hearing on April 28.

Rozas provided the following written statement to CBS 42 after the hearing:

“We are deeply disappointed by today’s decision to deny bond by Judge Maithe Gonzalez. 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.

“What’s 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. Our legal system is not built on proving a negative, and yet that’s exactly what is being asked of us. According to ICE’s own database, Mr. Doroudi’s student visa appears to be valid, making his continued detention all the more concerning.

“Mr. Doroudi is not a flight risk. 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.

“We will appeal this decision and do everything in our power to bring justice to Mr. Doroudi.”

Doroudi, who is originally from Shiraz, Iran, was picked up by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents in the early morning hours March 25 at his apartment off campus. After a couple of days at the Pickens County Jail, was taken over 300 miles aways to the Jena facility, where he has remained with over 1,100 other inmates since March 28.

Bajgani claimed that six months after arriving in the United States in the early part of 2023, Doroudi’s visa was inexplicably revoked. However, The Crimson White student newspaper reported that the university’s International Student and Scholar Services had reportedly told him that he would be able to remain in the country as long as he was a student.

Similarly, Rozas said Doroudi’s Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVIS) permit was still valid and was in the process of applying for permanent residency at the time of his detainment by ICE. Outside of speeding violations in 2023, Doroudi has no criminal record.

Previously, a representative with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security claimed that Doroudi posed “significant national security concerns,” stopping short of elaborating on what those concerns were.

According to Bajgani, Doroudi was set to graduate next year with his doctorate degree. He had previously received his master of science degree in welding engineering technology from Amirkabir University of Technology in Tehran.

A date for a master hearing, where Doroudi can plead his case against deportation, has not been set yet.