US federal immigration agents detain doctoral student at University of Alabama

US federal immigration agents have detained a doctoral student at the University of Alabama, the university said in a media statement on Wednesday, Reuters has reported.

The university did not identify the student, but records on the website of the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) showed that Alireza Doroudi, an Iranian citizen, was detained by the agency. The records did not show which ICE facility he was detained in.

The US Department of Homeland Security and ICE did not immediately respond to a request for comment. It was not clear why the Iranian citizen was detained.

Doroudi studied mechanical engineering at the University of Alabama and specialised in metallurgical engineering, according to his LinkedIn page. The New York Times and other media first reported the news.

The detention comes as President Donald Trump has pledged to deport foreign pro-Palestinian protesters in the US. He accused them of supporting Hamas militants, being anti-Semitic and posing hurdles for American foreign policy.

Protesters, including some Jewish groups, deny such claims by saying that the Trump administration conflates their legitimate criticism of Israel’s military offensive in Gaza and their advocacy for Palestinian rights with anti-Semitism and support for Hamas.

Trump’s administration has also been targeting international students as it seeks to crack down on immigration, including ramping up immigration arrests and sharply restricting border crossings.

In recent days, other students have also been targeted by the Trump administration in various educational institutions.

READ: Trump administration detains Turkiye student at Tufts, revokes visa