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Detained UA student

Among a spate of foreign students detained recently by immigration officials is a University of Alabama doctoral student from Iran, reports AL.com’s Williesha Morris and Patrick Darrington.

Alireza Doroudi was last being held at the Pickens County Jail. He has lived in Tuscaloosa since 2023 and has been studying mechanical engineering.

UA’s student newspaper, The Crimson-White, reported that Doroudi’s visa was revoked not long after he arrived but that the university told him he was fine as long as he maintains his student status.

The Department of Homeland Security told CBS42 on Thursday that Doroudi “posed significant national security concerns.”

Doroudi’s lawyer told The AP he wasn’t aware of any pro-Palestinian activity by Doroudi. President Trump has warned that the feds may deport pro-Palestinian protesters in the U.S.

According to Secretary of State Marco Rubio, some 300 students have had their visas revoked.

Glock-switch arrest

The first arrest has been made under the brand-new state law banning “Glock switches,” reports AL.com’s Carol Robinson.

The so-called Glock switches are devices that allow a semi-automatic gun to fire like a machine gun. A conviction could mean a sentence of 366 days to 10 years.

The name was appropriate in this case because the gun in question was a Glock handgun. The suspect is a 15-year-old boy who, police say, was in possession of the Glock and the conversion device. The Birmingham Police Department’s Special Enforcement Team made the arrest.

Glock switches were already illegal under federal law. The new state law cleared the way for Alabama to prosecute the cases as well.

Trump nominee

President Trump has nominated a Mountain Brook urologist as assistant secretary for health, reports AL.com’s Howard Koplowitz.

Dr. Brian Christine of Urology Centers of Alabama in Homewood would be succeeding Adm. Rachel Levine in the role and reporting to Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

Christine contributed $8,505 to Trump’s presidential campaign, according to Federal Election Commission records.

A rising star

The Academy of Country Music looks like it loves Ella Langley.

AL.com’s Mary Colurso reports that the Hope Hull native has been nominated for eight ACM Awards. That’s more than anybody else.

Her breakout was “You Look Like You Love Me,” her duet with fellow Alabamian Riley Green. Langley and Green both shared in the co-writing credit for that one.

That song and its video brought nominations for Langley as Single of the Year, Music Event of the Year, Song of the Year and Visual Media of the Year. For Song of the Year she’s nominated as both an artist and a songwriter, and for Visual Media of the Year she’s nominated both as an artist and as a director.

She’s also up for Female Artist of the Year and New Female Artist of the Year.

It’s actually a big year at the ACM Awards for breakout country acts from Alabama. Red Clay Strays and Muscadine Bloodline both received their first nominations.

Raining 3s

The University of Alabama’s men’s basketball team spent Thursday firing long-range shots against BYU for a record-breaking Sweet 16.

AL.com’s Matt Stahl reports that the Tide sank 22 3-pointers in the 113-88 win.

That’s an NCAA Tournament record, one trey better than Loyola launched in a 1990 game. Mark Sears led the way for Alabama with 10 3s, an Alabama single-game record. Sears finished with 34 points.

Alabama next plays top-seeded Duke at 7:49 p.m. Saturday in the Elite 8.

Meanwhile, Auburn plays its Sweet 16 game against Michigan at 8:39 tonight on CBS.

More Alabama News

Born on This Date

In 1957, sprinter Harvey Glance of Phenix City. He was an Olympic gold medalist in the 4×100-meter relay in the 1976 Games.

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General

Today’s daily horoscopes: March 28, 2025

Neptune strums a waltz while the moon slow dances with Venus. Illusions and longing are a theme as love sees what she wants to see, loves what she wishes were true. A soft-focus lens casts its glow over imperfections, making the real and the imagined indistinguishable. Under this influence, love becomes a dream — but will it wake up as one?

ARIES (March 21-April 19). No one else has walked your exact path, seen the world through your eyes or felt the precise combination of emotions that make up your inner landscape. This individuality is a kind of magic — an energy that only you can bring to the world.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20). Taking things too seriously adds weight to your mind, your mood and even your body. That heaviness creates resistance, making everything feel harder and slower than it needs to be. The best remedy? Humor.

GEMINI (May 21-June 21). The energy you give off can be felt by others. Surrounding yourself with positivity creates a ripple effect that impacts everyone around you. Protecting your energy doesn’t mean isolation; it means intentionality. The right people and influences can help you amplify your own potential.

CANCER (June 22-July 22). You are already enough, and besides, worth isn’t something you should feel you have to earn. Give more love to wonderful you today — just as you are, without needing to change a thing.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22). There’s a time to go full speed ahead and a time to hang back and wait. You’re in the latter. Charging heedlessly ahead will cause unpredictable effects. The fates will favor your caution and your cool. When it’s the right time to move, you’ll feel it.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22). You’ve built a lot from very little, and the future looks bright for you as you continue to focus on what you want and deserve. Once you get the time, space and support you need, you’ll be unstoppable.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23). You have that X-factor radiating today, which explains why you’re pulling so much attention. It’s not what you look like and say; rather, it’s a curiosity and drive that burn in you causing you to unselfconsciously involve yourself in the fascinating world around you.

SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 21). You know what you want — relationships that will expand you, give you new perspective, different insights and a wider array of options. This means keeping an eye out for the situations that are likely to trap you so you can avoid them.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21). Even when you don’t feel extraordinary, the fact remains: No one else can replicate the way you connect, create and interpret the world. Someone new is appreciating your presence, perspective and way of solving problems.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19). Wanting to be great at something doesn’t automatically mean you can be, but it is an indicator nonetheless. You wouldn’t be attracted if there weren’t something there or something adjacent that was meant for you.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18). Someone has been attached to you in their way, but do they show up for you emotionally? Do they engage with you as someone with your own needs, perspective and humanity — or do they expect you to fit into their version of things?

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20). Fear often points to an area where our talents are underdeveloped, and facing it head-on is how we sharpen those skills. When you push through fear, you’re not just overcoming a mental barrier; you’re expanding your abilities.

TODAY’S BIRTHDAY (March 28). You’ll step into your creative and personal brilliance, leading with ideas that quickly find a receptive audience. Your natural charisma opens doors, and your skills will earn top dollar. More highlights: A dream trip, a relationship that restores your faith in human nature and the freedom and channels to express yourself in ways that bring you closer to the world and to your own heart. Capricorn and Libra adore you. Your lucky numbers are: 6, 20, 15, 9, and 34.

Holiday Mathis’ debut novel, “How To Fail Epically in Hollywood,” is out now! This fast-paced romp about achieving Hollywood stardom is available as a paperback and e-book. Visit creatorspublishing.com for more information. Write Holiday Mathis at HolidayMathis.com.

General

Game time for Alabama vs. Duke in Elite Eight announced

No. 2 seed Alabama men’s basketball will face No. 1 seed Duke in the Elite Eight at 7:49 p.m. CT on Saturday in Newark, N.J., CBS announced for the upcoming March Madness slate.

The game will be broadcast on either TBS or truTV. Brian Anderson, Jim Jackson and Allie LaForce will be on the call again.

The Crimson Tide just beat No. 6 seed BYU in the Sweet 16. Duke beat No. 4 seed Arizona to make it to the Elite Eight.

Alabama is back in the Elite Eight for the second consecutive season and only the third time ever. Coach Nate Oats has put together unprecedented success, now the Alabama coach with the most NCAA Tournament wins.

Meanwhile, Jon Scheyer is in his third season coaching Duke. The Blue Devils also reached the Elite Eight a season ago. In his first year, Scheyer reached the second round.

Alabama aims to make it back to its second consecutive Final Four after making it to college basketball’s biggest stage a season ago for the first time in program history.

Nick Kelly is an Alabama beat writer for Follow him on X and the Alabama Media Group. Follow him on X and Instagram.

General

How Alabama’s intense practice shooting battles fueled historic 3-point night

No matter who you ask, you’ll get a different answer.

Mark Sears will tell you one thing. Chris Youngblood will say another. Same with Aden Holloway and even Alabama assistant coach Preston Murphy.

The question at hand: Who wins your shooting competition the most?

Trying to seek the truth and report it in this situation proved challenging. Each contestant peddles a story that contradicts the next.

Sears, Youngblood and Holloway often part in a shooting competition around peach practice that usually includes Murphy, even though he’s a coach; Murphy, 47, played for Rhode Island in the 1990s. The competitor in each emerges through their answers to an inquisition into the most common result.

“I’d say I win about 55%,” Youngblood said.

“I’d say some days it would be me, some days it would be (Holloway), sometimes CY,” Sears said.

“There’s no doubt who the undisputed shooting champion of the program is, and it’s none of those guys,” Murphy said.

They all can’t agree on who wins in the shooting competitions the most, but you won’t find any disagreement on this: The trio’s practice clashes helped fuel the Crimson Tide’s historic, and flat out ridiculous, shooting performance against BYU.

Sears, Holloway and Youngblood combined for 21 triples to lead No. 2 seed Alabama to a 113-88 victory over the No. 6 seeded Cougars on Thursday in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament.

The three guards spearheaded a historic effort that included 25 3-pointers, which is the most ever for any team in an NCAA Tournament game. It’s also the most triples in any Alabama game ever. Sears hit 10 of them, which was one shy of the record in one NCAA Tournament game for a player.

And it can all be traced back to the practice shooting competitions Sears, Holloway and Youngblood hold on the regular.

“When you’re going up against good shooters, iron sharpens iron,” Sears said. “It’s building game-like pressure for nights like this.

Unlike in practices, the trio was shooting with each other, not against each other. That setup in game is a stark change from the intense practice battles.

They occur just about every day, Murphy said. They usually happen at the beginning or end of individual workouts. The shooting competitions are never that long, but they happen often.

Here’s what happens: The trio and Murphy will shoot the best out of 10 from one spot on the court. Whoever makes the most wins in that spot. Then they move to the next location with three total spots from which to shoot and see how many in a row they can make.

“(Holloway) hit like 30 or 40 in a row one time,” Youngblood said. “It’s crazy.”

Holloway didn’t quite hit 30 in a row against BYU, but he was rolling from beyond the arc. He made 6 of 13 (46%) from deep against the Cougars.

That combined with Sears (62.5%) from deep and Youngblood going 5 for 11 (45%), the trio overwhelmed BYU.

Their efforts contributed to a convincing victory over the Cougars, to secure a spot in the Elite Eight for the second consecutive year and the third time in program history. By the time the buzzer blared at Prudential Center on Thursday night, the winner was undisputed.

Unlike in their practice competitions.

Nick Kelly is an Alabama beat writer for Follow him on X and the Alabama Media Group. Follow him on X and Instagram.

General

34-year-old killed in fiery Walker County crash

Authorities have identified a man who was killed nearly one week ago in a fiery crash in Walker County.

Alabama State Troopers late Thursday identified the victim as Mason L. Wood. He was 34 and lived in Jasper.

The wreck happened about 4 p.m. Friday, March 21, on Bennett Road near Zelles Road. That location is about eight miles north of Jasper.

Trooper Cpl. Reginal King said Wood was driving a Ford F-150 pickup truck that left the road, struck a tree and caught fire. He was dead on the scene.

Wood’s body was taken to the Alabama Department of Forensic Sciences where his identity was later confirmed.

The crash investigation is ongoing.

General

Troy edges North Texas 88-86 in OT, advances to Women’s NIT Great 8

Ashley Baez’s free throws with 0.2 seconds remaining gave Troy an 88-86 victory over North Texas in the Women’s NIT Sweet 16 on Thursday night at Trojan Arena.

Troy (22-13) next faces North Dakota State in the Great 8 round on Monday in Fargo, N.D. A victory would send coach Chanda Rigby’s Trojans to the WNIT Fab 4 for the second straight season.

On Thursday, Troy got Zay Dyer’s 17th double-double of the year with 23 points and 13 rebounds. The Trojans won despite turning the ball over a season-worst 30 time, its most in eight years.

“The will to win can’t be beat,” Rigby said. “We did not play perfect basketball. We shot poorly from the free throw line; we had some key turnovers and lost focus, but at the end of the game, our crowd really helped us pull through and the players fought with all their emotion and belief.

“We subbed Ashley in for defense, but when we got the stop, she took off with it, got fouled and made her free throws. That’s what everyone is going to remember.”

Indeed, Troy trailed 86-80 with 2:06 remaining in overtime after North Texas’ Kayla Deck hit a 3-pointer. But the Trojans scored the game’s final eight points, the first six on Briana Peguero’s 3-pointer with 1:52 to play and a 3-point play with 23 seconds left.

With the score tied, North Texas (25-9) missed a shot and Baez grabbed the rebound. Deck fouled her with 0.2 left on the clock.

Baez, a 5-foot-6 senior who played just eight minutes on Thursday, hit both free throws for the win. They were her only points in the game.

Shaulana Wagner also had a double-double for Troy with 17 points and 10 assists, while Peguero (14 points), Brianna Jackson (14) and Emani Jenkins (10) also scored in double figures for the Trojans. The 6-foot-3 Jackson also blocked eight shots, one shy of the Trojans’ single-game record.

North Texas’ Tommisha Jackson scored a game-high 26 points, while Desiree Wooten added 21. Deck finished with 16 for the Mean Green.

Tip-off for Troy at North Texas on Monday is set for 7 p.m. The winner of that game will face the winner of Monday’s Illinois-Louisiana Tech game in the WNIT Fab 4.

General

Casagrande: Wow. Mark Sears goes nuts and Alabama makes NCAA history

This is an opinion column.

It started with a shot Nate Oats despises.

And ended with history.

All Mark Sears needed was a mid-range jumper to spark a record-smashing night — a dizzying display of 3-point dominance.

A 113-88 vaporization of BYU saw the Crimson Tide’s All-American emerge from the Pine Barrens as the catalyst of a mystifying performance.

It was … insane.

At times disorienting.

Sears couldn’t hit Ohio from Cleveland last weekend before setting the whole state of New Jersey on fire Thursday night. His 10 made 3s against BYU set the tone for a Crimson Tide shooting night for the ages.

The 25 made 3s smashed a 35-year-old record set by a Loyola-Marymount team that scored 149 points that night in 1990.

It was Sears’ bomb with 7:41 left in the game that broke the old mark of 21 on a night Alabama showed the high end of its performance spectrum.

Notice served for the rest of the tournament survivors of the damage Alabama’s capable of inflicting when they find a groove.

Just baffling considering the previous two NCAA tournament games.

The Crimson Tide made just 13 from deep in 38 attempts while beating Robert Morris and St. Mary’s.

Even more incredible when you consider Sears had made just 16 of his 63 deep balls over the previous six games.

The All-American was due.

BYU paid the toll.

He was 10-for-16, nearly doubling BYU’s perimeter output as the 3-point-dependent Cougars made just 6 of 30 tries.

And it all started with an innocent little jumper from about eight feet just 31 seconds into a game no witness will forget.

The opening few moments, however, didn’t foreshadow the sledgehammer performance. Sears appeared hesitant to pull from the perimeter on the first few possessions before missing badly on his first 3-pointer.

BYU even appeared to sag on defense, practically daring Sears to strike the match for his left-handed 3-point stroke that made him a beloved figure in Alabama basketball history.

From there?

Fuhgeddaboudit.

Sears made 6 of his next 7 to close the first half with 17 points. That alone tied his season-high for made 3-pointers.

It caught on from there as the other Alabama guards who were equally MIA in Cleveland reanimated alongside Sears.

Aden Holloway dropped 23 making six 3s.

Chris Youngblood had 19 while making five.

Alabama was also dead-eye from the foul line as it made 18 of 21 tries there. Cliff Omoruyi made all six.

Perhaps there’s something in the New Jersey water?

Alabama finished 25-for-51 shooting 3s.

The 51 tries also broke a tournament record but was four fewer than Alabama’s season high from the South Dakota State game. The 49.0 success rate was the third-highest of the season — not bad considering the number of attempts.

Alabama came close to outscoring BYU on 3s alone as it netted 75 from the deep balls while the Cougars finished with 88.

BYU never got closer than seven points in the second half and it was a Holloway 3 just 14 seconds later that sent the margin back to double-digits for good.

The record-breaking sequence was even more impressive.

Sears’ stroke with 7:41 for the 22nd successful 3 capped a streak of six straight makes. Youngblood, Holloway and Sears took turns digging the BYU grave deep in the swamps of Jersey.

This was a game that promised offensive fireworks as Vegas set the over/under in the NCAA tournament record neighborhood of 175.5.

They cleared that bar by 26.

It was a game that science should study one day. Sears should be poked and prodded to see just how he returned from hibernation to come one made 3-pointer from tying the individual single-game NCAA tournament record.

All of that is great, Oats acknowledged after the game.

The moment shouldn’t be underplayed considering this program had just one Sweet 16 entering last March.

Now it has two-straight.

And this is where their celebration ends and the focus shifts.

With that trip to Arizona last April comes standards that reach beyond Sweet 16 parties.

Anything short of the Final Four would be a disappointment, Oats said on Selection Sunday and that’s still true.

“Obviously,” Oats said, “we’re not gonna shoot it like that all the time.”

And they’re not gonna hang a banner in Coleman Coliseum for 25 made 3s so regrouping for Saturday’s Elite Eight is all Alabama needs to do from here.

But wow.

Who saw that coming?

A mid-range jumper as the Archduke Ferdinand of a Nate Oats’ team making NCAA tournament history.

March is a hell of a drug.

Michael Casagrande is a reporter for the Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @ByCasagrande or on Facebook.

General

All the records Alabama basketball, Mark Sears broke in Sweet 16 win over BYU

Early in Alabama basketball’s dominant Sweet 16 win over BYU, it became clear the three-point shot was going to be key for the Crimson Tide. When all was said and done, no team had ever made as many as UA did.

A long shot by Mark Sears late in the second half broke Loyola Marymount’s 1990 record of 21 for most made threes in a single game. Alabama finished the game with 25 made threes.

That wasn’t the only record the Crimson Tide shattered though. Alabama attempted 51 threes, which broke another NCAA Tournament record.

St. Joseph’s had set the previous record in 1997. It tried 43 against Boston College that year.

Sears broke the record as part of a huge day himself. After struggling early in the tournament, the point guard from Muscle Shoals showed off his best self against the Cougars.

“He can still shoot, I assure everybody,” Crimson Tide head coach Nate Oats said on the CBS broadcast following the Alabama win.

Sears came one shot short of the NCAA Tournament individual record for most made threes in a game. He finished with 10, one behind Jeff Fryer, who set it at 11 for Loyola Marymount, in the same 1990 game against Michigan where his team broke the record.

Even without that one, Sears still found his way into the record books. He broke Alabama’s individual tournament record for most three-pointers, ahead of the eight that Jean Felix made in 2006 against Marquette.

Sears also tied the school’s overall record of 10 three-pointers in a single game, which John Petty did twice. Sears finished Thursday’s game with 34 points, and somehow had time to collect eight assists along the way.

Finally, Alabama broke the school record for most points in an NCAA Tournament game. That one wasn’t as old, as the Crimson Tide put up 109 in the first round of last year’s tournament against College of Charleston.

Alabama will play again on Saturday, in its third-ever Elite Eight. The Crimson Tide will face the winner of Thursday’s game between top-seeded Duke and No. 4-seed Arizona, also being played in Newark.

“I sure hope so,” Oats said on the CBS broadcast when asked if his team saved any makes for Saturday’s game. “We’re gonna need them. Because whether it’s Duke or whether it’s Arizona, they’re both really good, so we’re gonna need a few threes on Saturday.”

General

Charles Barkley does only thing he can after Alabama-BYU prediction goes horribly wrong

Charles Barkley did the only thing he could do after Mark Sears and Alabama dismantled BYU 113-88 in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament on Thursday.

Barkley, who predicted BYU would beat Nate Oats’ Crimson Tide, opened the postgame show by simply shaking Kenny Smith’s hand.

“That’s all you have to do after a game like that,” Barkley said. “That’s all you can do. That was impressive.”

Alabama broke the 35-year-old March Madness record for 3-pointers with 25, and Sears scored 30 of his 34 points on 3-pointers in the East Region semifinal game.

The Crimson Tide made 25 of 51 3s to break the record of 21 set by Loyola Marymount in 1990.

“Not that I went to class a lot,” Barkley, the former Auburn star, said, “you go 25 of 51, that’s pretty good. That’s impressive.”

The Tide moves on to face either Duke or Arizona for a spot in the Final Four.

Sears’ 10 3s were one short of the record set by Loyola Marymount’s Jeff Fryer in a memorable 149-115 second-round win over Michigan.

Prior to the game, Barkley was on the BYU hype train.

“They are going to have a great shooting night,” Barkley said of BYU, which finished 6 of 30 from the 3-point line. “They are the only team in the country that shoots more 3s than 2s. They are gonna have a great night from 3-point land tonight. And I think they are gonna get it done. I really do.

“They are gonna make enough shots. They have to have a good job on the boards. I’m taking BYU in an upset.”

The Tide outrebounded the Cougars 37-36 on the night.

Even at halftime, with the Tide leading 51-40, Barkley was optimistic.

“If you are BYU, you just have to take your hat off to Alabama,” he said at half. “(Alabama) got 12 of 27, that’s spectacular.

“But you have to say, ‘Guys, we’re not gonna go 1 for 13. That’s the only thing you can say. A team gonna shoot that percentage, you just have to shake their hand after the game. They’re playing pretty good defense. If I’m (BYU) coach (Kevin) Young, I’m saying, ‘Guys, we’re a 3-point shooting team. We’re not gonna go 1 for 13. We’re only down 11.’ … (Alabama) should be up more. BYU’s like, ‘Guys, we’re never gonna go 1 for 13 again because they are a 3-point shooting team. That’s all you gotta say.

“If you are BYU, you are disappointed. You have to say we’re gonna play better in the second half.”

Mark Heim is a reporter for The Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @Mark_Heim. He can be heard on “The Opening Kickoff” on WNSP-FM 105.5 FM in Mobile or on the free Sound of Mobile App from 6 to 9 a.m. daily.

General

Tuberville backs detaining of Alabama doctoral student government says posed ‘security concerns’

There is no indication the University of Alabama student detained this week by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement was involved in any pro-Palestinian protests or criminal activity.

However, the Department of Homeland Security told CBS42 on Thursday that Alireza Doroudi, a doctoral student from Iran studying mechanical engineering, “posed significant national security concerns.”

DHS did not provide any specific information regarding what Doroudi may have done or was charged with. Efforts by AL.com to reach DHS have not been successful.

Douroudi attorney David Rozas told The Associated Press he was not aware of his client being involved in protests or criminal activity.

“With the words of his fiancé, he is a nerd. All he does is study and is literally trying to fulfill his dream, the American dream, of becoming a researcher and professor of mechanical engineering,” Rozas told AP.

U.S. Sen. Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala, told the nonprofit news agency NOTUS that he supported the Trump administration despite not knowing about Doroudi’s arrest.

“If they’re doing something wrong everybody should be arrested,” Tuberville told the outlet. Efforts by AL.com to reach Tuberville were not successful.

Aside from Tuberville, none of Alabama’s congressional officials publicly commented on Doroudi’s detainment as of Thursday.

“You can [either] break the law or go with the law. If they break the law, let’s put them in jail.” Tuberville said.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio, asked Thursday about the detention of of Rumeysa Ozturk, a Turkish student at Tufts University, issued a warning that more international students would be arrested, deported and have their visa revoked if they are found to be causing a “ruckus.”

According to Rubio, about 300 students have already had their visas revoked.

Video depicts Ozturk being surrounded by plain-clothed immigration agents as she is arrested and taken away in Somerville, Massachusetts on Tuesday.

Ozturk is currently at a detention facility in Louisiana, despite a judge barring her transfer from Massachusetts without proper notice.

Rubio said the visas of other students are being taken away because they are “destabilizing” and being disruptive on college campuses.

“Why would any country in the world allow people to come and disrupt,” Rubio said.

“We gave you a visa to come and study and get a degree not to become a social activist that tears up our university campuses…We’re just not going to have it, so we’ll revoke your visa. And once your visa is revoked, you’re illegally in the country and you have to leave.”

The Trump administration’s targeting of international students is due to their participation in campus protests or criticisms of Israel last year during the war in Gaza.

A Department of Homeland Security official alleged that Ozturk acted in, “support of Hamas,” but no evidence was provided to support the claim.

Ozturk co-authored an op-ed in March 2024 in support of Palestine and divestment from Israel.

Critics have argued that the targeting of students who have been critical of a foreign government are attacks on First Amendment rights to free speech.

Doroudi was being held at Pickens County Jail in Alabama for transport to an immigration facility in Jena, Louisiana. As of Thursday Doroudi has not been formally charged with any crime, according to court records.

Doroudi’s only offense while in America was for speeding in Tuscaloosa County two years ago.

A GoFundMe has been created by Doroudi’s apparent fiancé to assist with his legal expenses. As of Thursday night, more than $13,000 have been raised out of a $15,000 goal.