Alireza Doroudi, the University of Alabama doctoral student detained by U.S Immigration and Customs Enforcement in March, was denied bond at a hearing on Thursday.
“We are deeply disappointed by today’s decision to deny bond by Judge Maithe González. The government has provided no evidence in the record that Mr. Doroudi poses any national security threat,” David Rozas, an attorney representing Doroudi, said in an email statement.
In a previous statement, a Department of Homeland Security spokesperson said that Doroudi posed “significant national security concerns,” but the department declined to provide evidence for or additional information about its claim. The DHS did not immediately respond to a request for comment Thursday.
According to AL.com, González said Doroudi failed to prove he was not a national security threat as the government alleged, and said that he was a flight risk due to having a revoked visa and having “scarce ties to the community.”
“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,” Rozas said. Doroudi lives with his fiance, Sama Bajgani, in Tuscaloosa, and he was participating in a doctoral program in mechanical engineering at the University.
Doroudi, who has been held in an ICE detainment facility in Louisiana since March 28, now faces possible deportation to his home country of Iran, according to AL.com.
“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,” Rozas said. International students at other universities who have criticized Israel’s role in its war with Gaza have been detained recently.
Rozas said that Doroudi’s student visa appears to be valid on the ICE database, making the detention “all the more concerning.”
“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,” Rozas said. “Our legal system is not built on proving a negative, and yet that’s exactly what is being asked of us.
“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,” Rozas said.
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