Tuscaloosa, Alabama - Sama Ebrahimi Bajgani and her fiancé Alireza Doroudi have just celebrated the Persian New Year night at the University of Alabama when seven armed immigration officials arrived at their pre-dawn apartment and arrested Doroudi.
After a while, the lives of the young couple were turned upside down.
"Until that night, I had a normal life. After that, nothing was normal."
Details of Dolodi's detention spread to small Iranian communities in Tuscaloosa, where Baigani and Dolodi are doctoral students. Other Iranian students said teachers have informally advised them to be “lower” and “invisible” – instilling fear in the once-energetic cohort.
Doroudi is a student across the United States who have been detained in recent weeks as President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown. Bajgani said the couple didn't know why Doroudi (without a criminal record or a public political view) was facing deportation, adding that Trump's recent visit to the school made her feel that the university "knows nothing about our crisis."
A civil engineering student in Iran and a close friend of Dolodi said he had lost over 10 pounds (4.5 kg) due to stress and depression in the six weeks since Dolodi was detained.
"Just like all of us are waiting for our turn. It's probably every knock, every email could be deportation," the student said, speaking on anonymous condition for fear of losing his legal status.
Now, he avoids unnecessary travel outside. Last month, when he crashed in a car accident, he begged another driver not to call the police, even if he was not at fault because he didn't want to get his attention.
Bajgani said Doroudi, 32, is an ambitious mechanical engineering student from Iran, Iran.
He entered the United States legally through a student visa in January 2023. Bajgani said he often works 60 hours while still spending time running for his loved ones.
"If someone like him can't get where he deserves it, then there's nothing called the American dream."
Bajgani said Doroudi's visa was revoked in June 2023, but the embassy did not provide a reason and ignored his inquiry. She said the university told him that as long as he stayed the student, he could stay, but if he left, it would not allow the United States to reenter the United States.
When immigration officials arrived at the couple's home in March, he was following the guidance.
The University of Alabama has not commented on Doroudi's case, but said it provides resources to help immigrants on campus comply with federal law. It also provides guidance to students who have their visa revoked.
“Our international students are important members of our campus community,” University spokesman Monica Watts said in a statement.
Doroudi told Bajgani that he had been in the county jail for three days, sleeping on the tiled floor, feeling panic.
He is now in an immigration detention facility in Louisiana, 300 miles (480 kilometers) from Tuscaloosa, while he awaits a deportation hearing scheduled for next week. There was at least one well-known international student there.
"I shouldn't have gotten this. If they just sent me a letter asking me to appear in court, I would come because I didn't do anything illegal. I had allowed them to stay with their permission," Dolodi said in a letter he called Bajgani by phone. "What's the reason for sending me to jail?"
More than 1,000 international students across the United States have revoked their visas or legal status since late March, according to an Associated Press review of university statements and dealings with school officials. They include some protesters against Israel's war in Gaza. Immigration and customs enforcement have since reversed these revocations, including four University of Alabama students.
"University staff closely monitor changes that may affect them and communicate updates related to the new protocols and procedures," Watts said.
David Rozas said a Louisiana judge denied Doroudi Bond in mid-April that he did not fully demonstrate that he was not a national security threat. Rozas said he was "shocked" because the government provided no evidence that Dolodi was a threat, although it was claimed by the Department of Homeland Security.
According to the school’s website, international students account for more than 13% of the University of Alabama graduate program. According to estimates by the Iranian Student Association, more than 100 Iranian students attend the university.
Every year, many people gather for a picnic to celebrate Sizdah Bedar, the 13th day of the Persian New Year, starting from spring.
This year, usually holidays "feel like funerals," said an Iranian doctoral student. Once, silence fell on the group as the police car passed.
"It's so hard, living here has become so hard," the student said, not wanting to be named because she is worried about revenge.
She has criticized the Iranian regime since she arrived in the United States five years ago, so she doubts she is no longer safe in her home country. Now, she has the same questions in Alabama.
"Suddenly, it felt like we were back in Iran again," she said.