ISTANBUL

Immigration officials in the US have taken a doctoral student from the University of Alabama into custody, the school reported on Wednesday.

A representative for the state’s leading university announced that the student was apprehended “off campus” by federal authorities but refrained from sharing more details, citing privacy regulations. The reason for the student’s detention remains unclear, and US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has not responded to requests for comment, as reported by The Guardian.

The arrest follows reports of the Trump administration intensifying efforts to detain and deport college students, including visa holders and green card residents, sparking concern on campuses and in communities.

The Crimson White, the University of Alabama’s student newspaper, wrote that Alireza Doroudi, a doctoral student from Iran studying mechanical engineering, had reportedly been taken into custody at home early Tuesday.

In response, the university’s College Democrats stated that Trump and ICE “have struck a cold, vicious dagger through the heart of UA’s international community.”

University spokesperson Alex House said the international student services center is available for support, noting: “International students studying at the university are valued members of the campus community.” However, he added that the university will “continue to follow all immigration laws and cooperate with federal authorities.”

The Alabama arrest coincided with reports that Tufts University doctoral student Rumeysa Ozturk was detained by ICE and sent to a Louisiana detention center. The US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) accused Ozturk of supporting Hamas without providing evidence. She had co-authored an article in March 2024 calling for Tufts to “acknowledge the Palestinian genocide.”