A graduate student at the University of Alabama detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is returning to Iran.On Thursday, attorneys for Alireza Doroudi revealed that their client had been granted voluntary departure and opted to return to his home country to avoid prolonging his detention.鈥淲e are extremely disappointed by today鈥檚 developments in Mr. Doroudi鈥檚 case," said David Roza in a statement to 米兰体育 13. "Following his 3:30 pm CT Master Hearing before Judge Maithe Gonzalez in Jena, Louisiana, Mr. Doroudi made the difficult decision to ask for and was granted voluntary departure and return to Iran in order to avoid prolonged and unnecessary detention. He turned and looked at me and said 鈥淚 love this country, but they don鈥檛 want me here so I will go home.鈥� Doroudi's attorneys said that they never learned what "national security concerns" the Department of Homeland Security said he posed, with the only charge against him being the revocation of his F-1 student visa and an allegation of 鈥榥ot being in status.鈥� According to Roza, however, documents concerning Doroudi's visa revocation state that it would only take effect after he had left the United States."The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) acknowledged this and indicated during the master hearing their intention to drop the charge," said Roza. "This acknowledges that the initial reason for arrest 45 days ago was an error." Video below shows ICE detaining University of Alabama student outside Tuscaloosa apartment.Judge Gonzalez reportedly called for a second hearing to address the 鈥榥ot in status鈥� charge, prompting Doroudi, who has been held in the Jena/LaSalle Detention Facility in Louisiana since March, to choose to return home."In the face of this legal uncertainty and prolonged detention, Mr. Doroudi chose to leave voluntarily," Roza. "This is not only a loss for him personally, but a setback for our system. When due process is delayed or denied, when charges are sustained without standing, and when individuals are forced to choose between uncertain length of detention in a country they feel no longer wants them, or leaving voluntarily, we must ask what kind of precedent we are setting not just for foreign students, but for fairness and justice in America.鈥漇tudents had protested for the release of Doroudi since his detainment.When President Donald Trump spoke at the University of Alabama, he mentioned his administration's immigration policy in his speech. Because of Doroudi's detainment, students had protested Trump's speech. ICE arrests under the Trump AdministrationWhen President Donald Trump took office, he began issuing a record number of executive orders, with many centering on the nation's immigration and border enforcement policies.These orders range from the ending of birthright citizenship to expanded use of expedited removals. They also address people seeking refuge or asylum 鈥� with an order to end the U.S. refugee program and the halting of an app used by migrants to make appointments before arriving at the border. Another order focuses on the deployment of resources, specifically the military, to border enforcement.While several of these orders have been either fully or partially blocked by federal judges, fear has taken hold in immigrant communities across the United States. Immigrants across the U.S. are avoiding places like work or school due to fears of ICE raids after an executive order removed rules against federal immigration organizations from entering locations like schools, churches and more. Arrests, however, don't necessarily equate to deportation.PHNjcmlwdCB0eXBlPSJ0ZXh0L2phdmFzY3JpcHQiPiFmdW5jdGlvbigpeyJ1c2Ugc3RyaWN0Ijt3aW5kb3cuYWRkRXZlbnRMaXN0ZW5lcigibWVzc2FnZSIsKGZ1bmN0aW9uKGUpe2lmKHZvaWQgMCE9PWUuZGF0YVsiZGF0YXdyYXBwZXItaGVpZ2h0Il0pe3ZhciB0PWRvY3VtZW50LnF1ZXJ5U2VsZWN0b3JBbGwoImlmcmFtZSIpO2Zvcih2YXIgYSBpbiBlLmRhdGFbImRhdGF3cmFwcGVyLWhlaWdodCJdKWZvcih2YXIgcj0wO3I8dC5sZW5ndGg7cisrKXtpZih0W3JdLmNvbnRlbnRXaW5kb3c9PT1lLnNvdXJjZSl0W3JdLnN0eWxlLmhlaWdodD1lLmRhdGFbImRhdGF3cmFwcGVyLWhlaWdodCJdW2FdKyJweCJ9fX0pKX0oKTs8L3NjcmlwdD4=This is a developing story and will be updated as information becomes available. Stay updated on the latest stories with the 米兰体育 13 app. You can download it here.
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — A graduate student at the University of Alabama detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is returning to Iran.
On Thursday, attorneys for Alireza Doroudi revealed that their client had been granted voluntary departure and opted to return to his home country to avoid prolonging his detention.
鈥淲e are extremely disappointed by today鈥檚 developments in Mr. Doroudi鈥檚 case," said David Roza in a statement to 米兰体育 13. "Following his 3:30 pm CT Master Hearing before Judge Maithe Gonzalez in Jena, Louisiana, Mr. Doroudi made the difficult decision to ask for and was granted voluntary departure and return to Iran in order to avoid prolonged and unnecessary detention. He turned and looked at me and said 鈥淚 love this country, but they don鈥檛 want me here so I will go home.鈥�
Doroudi's attorneys said that they never learned what "national security concerns" the Department of Homeland Security said he posed, with the only charge against him being the revocation of his F-1 student visa and an allegation of 鈥榥ot being in status.鈥�
According to Roza, however, documents concerning Doroudi's visa revocation state that it would only take effect after he had left the United States.
"The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) acknowledged this and indicated during the master hearing their intention to drop the charge," said Roza. "This acknowledges that the initial reason for arrest 45 days ago was an error."
Video below shows ICE detaining University of Alabama student outside Tuscaloosa apartment.
Judge Gonzalez reportedly called for a second hearing to address the 鈥榥ot in status鈥� charge, prompting Doroudi, who has been held in the since March, to choose to return home.
"In the face of this legal uncertainty and prolonged detention, Mr. Doroudi chose to leave voluntarily," Roza. "This is not only a loss for him personally, but a setback for our system. When due process is delayed or denied, when charges are sustained without standing, and when individuals are forced to choose between uncertain length of detention in a country they feel no longer wants them, or leaving voluntarily, we must ask what kind of precedent we are setting not just for foreign students, but for fairness and justice in America.鈥�
Students had protested for the release of Doroudi since his detainment.
When President Donald Trump spoke at the University of Alabama, he mentioned his administration's immigration policy in his speech. Because of Doroudi's detainment, students had protested Trump's speech.
ICE arrests under the Trump Administration
When President Donald Trump took office, he began issuing a record number of executive orders, with many centering on the nation's immigration and border enforcement policies.
These orders range from the ending of birthright citizenship to expanded use of expedited removals. They also address people seeking refuge or asylum 鈥� with an order to end the U.S. refugee program and the halting of an app used by migrants to make appointments before arriving at the border. Another order focuses on the deployment of resources, , to border enforcement.
While several of these orders have been either fully or partially blocked by federal judges, fear has taken hold in immigrant communities across the United States. Immigrants across the U.S. are like work or school due to fears of ICE raids after an executive order removed rules against federal immigration organizations from entering locations like . Arrests, however, don't necessarily equate to deportation.
This is a developing story and will be updated as information becomes available. Stay updated on the latest stories with the 米兰体育 13 app. You can download it here.
