Des Moines, Iowa (AP) – Principal of Des Moines Public Schools Detained by immigration authorities While filing his resignation Tuesday, he will focus on challenging the looming deportation, his lawyer said.
Ian Roberts was impressed by his previous lawyer that his immigration case had been “settled successfully,” said Alfredo Parrish. His law firm had called on the immigration court in Omaha, Nebraska to maintain Roberts’ deportation and was working on another complaint to resume educator immigration lawsuits.
US Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agents Roberts was taken into custody last week.a former Olympic runner from Guyana said he lived and worked in the country illegally. The state commission has supervised Roberts’ license.
The Des Moines school board voted Monday, with Roberts taking unpaid leave from his job leading the district with more than 30,000 students.
Roberts submitted a letter through his lawyer, who announced his immediate resignation Tuesday, saying he did not want to deflect district leaders and teachers from focusing on student education.
Board Chairman Jackie Norris had provided Roberts with documents until noon Tuesday indicating whether he could legally work in the United States or face termination proceedings. The board will hold a special meeting Tuesday night to consider whether to accept resignation.
The backlash from the arrest was not over.
The Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division announced Tuesday it would investigate whether the district is engaged in racism by supporting non-white applicants as part of its “increasing the number of teachers of color” plan. A district spokesperson said the issue is under review.
Roberts, 54, is taking place at the Woodbury County Jail in Sioux City, Iowa, about 150 miles (240 kilometers) northwest of Des Moines.
Parish described Roberts as a “risqué advocate for this community” who was his inspiration for his students, and he thanked him for his pouring of support. Parrish said he and other lawyers spoke with Roberts for hours on Tuesday, saying, “He’s high.”
Parrish warned that it was a “very complicated case” that took time to investigate. He acknowledged that Roberts could face deportation at any time, and it was unclear whether his new appeal would be considered by the court.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Cigarettes, Firearms and Explosives is investigating how he got a handgun allegedly found in his district vehicle during his arrest last week. That case could lead to federal accusations.
Rep. Zach Nun, a Republican representing the Des Moines area, released an edited excerpt of the Roberts removal order on Tuesday after obtaining the documents through a request for the Freedom of Information Act.
The document alleges that Roberts was given a notice to appear at the removal hearing but could not refer other relief or apply otherwise.
The immigration judge found that the Department of Homeland Security had presented evidence in support of allegations that Roberts was the subject of removal. The judge ordered Roberts to voluntarily leave the United States or face deportation.
Parrish confirmed that his client was born in Guyana, but did not say if his job permit expired, and what happened in the removal proceedings last year, or whether he had ever applied for US citizenship or legal permanent residency.
However, he published a March 2025 letter from a former lawyer for Roberts in Texas in March 2025 saying that his client had been informed that he had been shutting down in his favour.
“It was my joy to represent you through this process and I am happy to report that your case has reached a successful resolution,” wrote Texas attorney Jackylein Gonzalez.
Gonzalez’s aide confirmed that the law firm represented Roberts but did not immediately comment.
Norris, the school board chair, said the district has not been notified of the deletion order until it received the copy on Monday.
She said that when Roberts was hired in 2023, he signed a form certifying that he was a US citizen and submitted his Social Security card and driver’s license as confirmation.
When Roberts was quoted for traffic violations in the Des Moines area in 2023 and 2024, he presented his Maryland driver’s license in each case, tickets show. However, the license listed various addresses.
According to the Maryland Voter Registration Database, Roberts has been registered to vote at one of his addresses since at least 2017. The Maryland Election Commission said Roberts’ registration may not be intentional and the review “does not show voting history.”
___
Foley reported from the city of Iowa, Iowa.
