BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (WIAT) — A doctoral student studying mechanical engineering at the University of Alabama is currently sitting in a jail cell not even an hour away from where he was picked up and detained by U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement officers earlier this week.

Alireza Doroudi, 32, is being held at the Pickens County Jail in Carrollton, where he has been since approximately 7 p.m. Tuesday, an employee at the jail confirmed to INTERNEWSCAST. However, he is not listed on the jail’s inmate roster online.

On Wednesday, the University of Alabama confirmed that a “doctoral student” had been detained off campus by “federal immigration authorities.” Although the university did not release his name, The Crimson White student newspaper confirmed that the student in question was Doroudi, adding that he had reportedly been detained outside his home in Tuscaloosa after 5 a.m. Tuesday.

On the ICE detainee locator, Doroudi’s name is listed, but no information was provided on where he was being held.

According to a student text chain obtained by the CW, Doroudi had come to the U.S. in January 2023 after receiving a student visa from the U.S. Embassy in Oman. However, his visa was allegedly revoked six months later.

“After receiving the revocation notice, Alireza immediately contacted ISSS (International Student and Scholar Services) at the University of Alabama,” the message stated. “ISSS replied with confidence, stating that his case was not unusual or problematic and that he could remain in the U.S. legally as long as he maintained his student status.”

The Pickens County Jail employee, who did not identify themselves, said that Doroudi was being held until ICE officers could pick him up, although no exact time was given on when Doroudi would be leaving.

Originally from Iran, Doroudi has been a student at UA since February 2023, according to his LinkedIn page. He previously received his master of science degree in welding engineering technology from Amirkabir University of Technology in Tehran in 2018.

According to court records, Doroudi’s only misdemeanor offenses while in the country were for reckless driving and speeding, both of which happened on November 3, 2023, when he was caught traveling 97 miles per hour in a 55-mile-per-hour zone at the corner of Hwy. 82 West and Loop Road in Pickens County after 7 p.m. The case was dismissed after Doroudi pleaded guilty to speeding and paid a $267 fine.

No reason has been given for Doroudi’s ICE detainment. Attempts to reach ICE and the Department of Homeland Security for comment were not successful.

Doroudi’s detainment comes on the heels of several high-profile stories of foreign-born college students being picked up by ICE in recent months, such as Rumeysa Ozturk at Tufts University and Mahmoud Khalil at Columbia University.

A GoFundMe page has been set up to help Doroudi raise money for court fees. As of Thursday, over $4,000 had been raised. For more information, click here.