Bard College Calls for the Release of Bard Baccalaureate Student Ali Faqirzada from ICE Custody

ANNANDALE-ON-HUDSON, N.Y.—Bard College is calling for the release of Ali Faqirzada, a Bard Baccalaureate student, from ICE custody. Bard College President Leon Botstein has mobilized bipartisan federal and state elected officials in New York and New Jersey to assist in this case. “Ali is known for his kind spirit, hard work, and dedication to learning. It is my hope that he will be able to return to Bard and resume his studies as soon as possible,” said President Botstein. 

A full-time student at Bard College since the fall 2024, Ali is on track to complete his bachelor's degree in 2028. Well-liked and respected by faculty, staff, and students alike, he is actively engaged in our College community and a Bard student we are all unequivocally proud to have here. Since its founding, Bard has remained committed, as a nonsectarian place of learning, to the liberal arts and sciences, to excellence and innovation in teaching, to the promotion of the arts, and to the link between education and democracy.


About Bard College
Founded in 1860, Bard College is a four-year, residential college of the liberal arts and sciences located 90 miles north of New York City. With the addition of the Montgomery Place estate, Bard’s campus consists of nearly 1,200 parklike acres in the Hudson River Valley. It offers bachelor of arts, bachelor of science, and bachelor of music degrees, with majors in more than 40 academic programs; graduate degrees in 13 programs; eight early colleges; and numerous dual-degree programs nationally and internationally. Building on its 165-year history as a competitive and innovative undergraduate institution, Bard College has expanded its mission as a private institution acting in the public interest across the country and around the world to meet broader student needs and increase access to liberal arts education. The undergraduate program at our main campus in upstate New York has a reputation for scholarly excellence, a focus on the arts, and civic engagement. Bard is committed to enriching culture, public life, and democratic discourse by training tomorrow’s thought leaders. For more information about Bard College, visit bard.edu.

###

(10/27/25)

Website: https://www.bard.edu/news/newsletter/student-detainment-updates

This event was last updated on 10-27-2025

Back to Top