Alabama Judge: Alireza Doroudi Will Be Deported to Iran if Expelled

A judge in the United States denied the bail request for Alireza Doroudi, a PhD student at the University of Alabama. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security claims that Mr. Doroudi poses a threat to national security, and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents arrested him at 3 AM on March 25 in his apartment. Since then, this student has been in federal custody. Judge Maith Gonzalez stated on Thursday, April 28, that Doroudi failed to prove he is not a threat to national security. She added that the student is 'dangerous due to being in the country with a revoked F-1 visa, lacking family in the country, and stating that he has little community ties.' Ms. Gonzalez remarked, 'Doroudi will be deported to Iran if expelled.' A spokesperson for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security previously stated that immigration officials acted based on the revocation of Mr. Doroudi's visa by the State Department and that 'this individual posed significant national security concerns.' According to Alabama.com, David Rosas, the attorney for this Iranian student, said on Thursday, 'This is astonishing. The judge said it is our duty to prove he is not a threat to national security, while the government has no evidence in the case showing my client is actually a threat to national security.' Rosas added, 'They are asking us to prove a negative, which is impossible, because I am not part of the government.' According to this lawyer, 'Doroudi poses no danger, and they will appeal this decision. He has 30 days to file an appeal.' This Iranian student was initially held in the Pickens County Jail and later transferred to a federal prison in Yena. Mr. Rosas had previously stated that his client was not arrested for any crime, did not participate in any anti-government protests, and is legally present in the U.S., pursuing his American dream by working on his PhD thesis in mechanical engineering. On Monday, during a court session to request his client's release on bail, he stated that Mr. Doroudi's student visa is valid, and he can still remain in the U.S. as a student even if his F-1 visa has been revoked. Related officials have refrained from providing further details on why Doroudi is considered a security threat, and his lawyer has also stated that he has received no information regarding the charges against his client. According to the Associated Press, public court records in Alabama show that Mr. Doroudi was fined in November 2023 for speeding and reckless driving, but has no other legal cases.