DES MOINES, Iowa — Ian Roberts, superintendent of the Des Moines public schools, has resigned after being detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) over his immigration status. Roberts, a native of Guyana and former Olympic runner, stepped down Tuesday as he prepares to fight a looming deportation order.
Roberts’ attorney, Alfredo Parrish, said his client believed his case had been “resolved successfully” based on assurances from a previous lawyer. Parrish’s firm has now filed a request to stay the deportation with an immigration court in Omaha and is seeking to reopen the case.
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Roberts, 54, was arrested last week after ICE alleged he had been living and working in the U.S. illegally. Following his detention, a state board revoked his superintendent license, and the Des Moines school board placed him on unpaid leave. His resignation letter, submitted through his attorney, emphasized his desire not to distract the district from its educational mission.
The school board is scheduled to meet Tuesday night to formally address the resignation. Board Chair Jackie Norris confirmed that when Roberts was hired in 2023, he signed paperwork claiming U.S. citizenship and provided a Social Security card and driver’s license for verification. She added that the district was not aware of his removal order until Monday.
Federal records released by U.S. Rep. Zach Nunn show that Roberts was ordered removed in May 2024 after failing to appear for a hearing. The order instructed him to voluntarily leave the country or face deportation. It remains unclear whether he ever applied for citizenship or permanent residency, or when his work authorization may have expired.
Meanwhile, the controversy has sparked broader fallout. Hundreds of students staged walkouts across the district in protest of Roberts’ arrest and ICE’s immigration crackdown. The Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division also announced an investigation into whether the district’s hiring practices discriminated by prioritizing non-white applicants as part of its diversity goals.
Authorities are additionally probing how Roberts obtained a handgun allegedly found in his district vehicle during his arrest, raising the possibility of criminal charges.
Parrish described Roberts as “a tremendous advocate for this community” whose “spirits are high” despite the uncertainty. He acknowledged, however, that the case is “very complex” and that Roberts could be deported at any moment, depending on the court’s decisions.
Roberts remains held at the Woodbury County Jail in Sioux City, about 150 miles northwest of Des Moines.
