Immigration

An Iranian student at the University of Alabama under federal arrest says he will leave the U.S. voluntarily. The attorney for Alireza Doroudi announced his client’s decision after the Government dropped a key charge in his arrest and the judge denied reconsideration of bail.

Alireza Doroudi has been detained in an immigration facility in Louisiana for nearly six weeks. Doroudi's detention has instilled fear in the small Iranian community in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, where he and his fiancee are doctoral students. Doroudi's visa was revoked in 2023, but he wasn't given a reason. His fiancee says he was told that he was legally allowed to stay in the U.S. as long as he remained a student. Now, one Iranian doctoral student says the fear in her community "feels like we're returning back to Iran again."

Alabama lawmakers advanced legislation that would allow local law enforcement to enforce immigration law, as conservative legislators push for increased alignment with the federal government's crackdown on immigration. The bill was dubbed "Laken Riley Act," named after the 22-year-old Augusta University student who was killed last year in Georgia by an undocumented immigrant.

A growing number of conservative leaders are pushing states to upend the long-standing U.S. constitutional right to free public education for children, regardless of immigration status. Alabama tried to enforce a state law to keep undocumented migrant children from public schooling, but agreed to a legal settlement on the matter and the law was blocked.

A crackdown on foreign students is alarming colleges, who say the Trump administration is using new tactics and vague justifications to push some students out of the country. College officials worry the new approach will keep foreigners from wanting to study in the U.S. This Tuesday marks two weeks since the arrest of an University of Alabama doctoral candidate.

Supporters of an Iranian University of Alabama student are speaking out with their dollars. A now closed GoFundMe site includes close to twenty six thousand dollars for the legal defense of Alireza Doroudi. Donors sent amounts ranging from five to three hundred dollars. It’s been just over a week since ICE agents arrested the engineering doctoral candidate.

Both the University of Alabama and federal immigration officials confirm that an Iranian UA doctoral student is in ICE custody, but few details are being made available. Alabama Public Radio was contacted by classmates of the student, identified in published reports as Alireza Doroudi, was detained by ICE agents this week. The student's F-1 student had reportedly been revoked. However, the reasons behind Doroudi’s arrest remain unclear. It’s just the latest student to be detained by the Trump administration.

Demonstrators have gathered in cities across the U.S., including in Alabama, to protest the Trump administration’s early actions. They're decrying everything from the president’s immigration crackdown to his rollback of transgender rights and a proposal to forcibly transfer Palestinians from the Gaza Strip.

Alabama lawmakers have returned to Montgomery to begin the 2025 legislative session. Republican lawmakers are expected to propose multiple immigration bills as red states look to support President Donald Trump’s mass deportation efforts. Some senators are trying to gauge the interest for addressing lottery and casino legislation this session.

Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey is calling public safety her top priority for this year's legislative session. The governor in her State of the State address on Tuesday that she is backing a number of bills including a ban on Glock switches. The package includes a mixture of tough on crime measures, efforts to assist police officers and a limited sentencing reform measure.