UA College Democrats will hold a peaceful rally in support of Alireza Doroudi outside the Tuscaloosa Federal Building and Courthouse at 5 p.m. on Monday.
Doroudi is a UA doctoral student who was arrested by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Tuesday at his residence in Tuscaloosa. He is being held at the Central Louisiana ICE Processing Center Friday, according to the ICE online detainee locator system.
Local and UA student organizations participating are:
- UA College Democrats
- UA Leftist Collective
- Tuscaloosa County Democratic Party
- Tuscaloosa United Church of Christ
- Grace Presbyterian
Christian Martin, political director of UACD, said the participating organizations want to attempt to exert pressure for Doroudi to be freed, and to show that he has support from members of the University and local community.
“We think civil liberties have really been infringed upon here,” he said. “This is a damage not only to the University, but to our entire community of Tuscaloosa, and Tuscaloosa stands up for her own.”
After publication, Martin said that the UA International Students Association had notified him March 29 via email that it no longer was participating in the protest.
Gabrielle Gunter, a graduate student studying women’s studies, said that the organizations want to help raise support and money for Doroudi and his family.
“We also want to make sure the University and the government knows that ICE has no place on our campus, and what has happened is unacceptable,” she said. “Taking a man from his fiance is just a horrifying experience for people to have to go through.”
The GoFundMe created by Doroudi’s fiance, Sama Ebrahimi Bajgani, to cover his legal fees has currently raised nearly $26,000, with the original goal being $12,000. The GoFundMe has since been closed.
“This Monday we will be taking the fight back to the courts,” UACD said on Instagram. “We hope to see you there.”
Editor’s note: The photograph for this story was updated March 31 to replace a picture of the Tuscaloosa County Courthouse. The protest will take place at the Tuscaloosa Federal Building and Courthouse, not the county courthouse. The list of participating organizations was also updated to reflect that the UA International Students Association decided to no longer partner for the event. An additional comment from a member of UACD was also added to the story.
