US agents conduct 'off campus' arrest of Iranian PhD student

US immigration agents have conducted an "off campus" arrest, detaining an Iranian doctoral student.

Alireza Doroudi, a doctoral student from Iran studying mechanical engineering at the University of Alabama, was reportedly taken into custody on Tuesday.

A representative for Alabama state’s leading university announced that Doroudi was apprehended “off campus” by federal agents but refrained from sharing more details, citing privacy issues.

So far, the reason for Doroudi’s incarceration remains unclear, and US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) did not respond to requests for comments.

His arrest follows reports of the Trump administration recently intensifying detention and deportation of university students, including visa holders and green card residents, sparking concern on campuses and in communities.

The University of Alabama College Democra said US President Donald Trump and ICE “have struck a cold, vicious dagger through the heart of UA’s international community.”

Alabama University spokesperson Alex House said that UA’s international students are “valued members” of the university, but university officials would “continue to follow all immigration laws and cooperate with federal authorities.”

The Alabama University's arrest coincides with reports that Tufts University in Massachusetts doctoral student Rumeysa Ozturk was detained by Department of Homeland Security (DHS) agents.

Ozturk, a Turkish national with a valid student visa, was arrested on Tuesday on her way to meet up with friends to break her Ramadan fast, her lawyer Mahsa Khanbabai said in a statement.

Khanbabai said no criminal charges had been filed against her client.

However, DHS claims Ozturk supported the Palestinian Hamas resistance movement, which is sufficient security grounds to have her deported.

Ozturk, who is currently being held at the South Louisiana ICE Processing Center in Basile, had co-authored an article in March 2024 calling for Tufts to “acknowledge the Palestinian genocide” that has been committed in the Gaza Strip by Israeli forces since October 2023.

'Free Mahmoud Khalil’ event held in New York

An event in New York City has united activists, students, and celebrities to demand the immediate release of Mahmoud Khalil, a Columbia student detained for speaking out on Gaza.

The arrests follow the incarcerations of several other pro-Palestinian students.

Mahmoud Khalil, a prominent pro-Palestinian activist who helped negotiate between university officials and pro-Palestinian student protesters, was arrested on March 8 after a rarely used provision of immigration law was invoked.

A Columbia University student is already suing the Trump administration over attempts to deport her for participating in campus pro-Palestinian protests.

“The government’s actions are an unprecedented and unjustifiable assault on First Amendment and other rights, one that cannot stand basic legal scrutiny,” the lawsuit, filed on Monday by attorneys for Yunseo Chung stated.

Chung, who came to the US as a child and is a legal permanent resident of the US, was arrested last month along with other students at a sit-in and protest outside of an academic building on the university campus.

Trump, during his campaign trail, promised to his supporters that he would clamp down on student demonstrators he accused of "un-American activity." 

Press TV’s website can also be accessed at the following alternate addresses:

www.presstv.co.uk