Des Moines superintendent Ian Roberts resigns after ICE arrest

The Des Moines public schools superintendent who has been detained by immigration authorities submitted his resignation Tuesday while he focuses on challenging his looming deportation, his lawyer said.Video above: DMPS Vice Chair Skylar Mayberry-Mayes’ statement after voting to accept resignation of Superintendent Ian RobertsIan Roberts had been under the impression from a prior attorney that his immigration case was “resolved successfully,” said attorney Alfredo Parrish. His law firm filed a request to stay Roberts’ deportation with an immigration court in Omaha, Nebraska, and was working on another motion to reopen the educator’s immigration proceedings.U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents detained Roberts last week, saying the Guyana native and former Olympic runner was living and working in the country illegally. A state board stripped Roberts’ license to be superintendent.The Des Moines school board voted Monday to put Roberts on unpaid leave from his job leading the district, which has more than 30,000 students.Roberts submitted a letter through his attorney announcing his immediate resignation Tuesday, saying he didn’t want to distract district leaders and teachers from focusing on education.WATCH: Attorney says Ian Roberts resigns as DMPS superintendentHours later, the board unanimously voted to accept his resignation, finding he no longer was authorized to work for the district.“It is a sad and troubling end for an individual who gave many people, especially our students, hope,” board chair Jackie Norris said.WATCH: Des Moines Board of Education votes to accept resignation of Superintendent Ian RobertsThe backlash from the arrest was far from over.The Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division announced Tuesday it would investigate whether the district has engaged in racial discrimination by favoring non-white applicants as part of a plan to “increase the number of teachers of color.” A district spokesperson said the matter was under review.Meanwhile, hundreds of high school students marched out of their classrooms Tuesday to protest Roberts’ arrest and ICE’s broader crackdown on illegal immigration.Roberts, 54, is being held at the Woodbury County Jail in Sioux City, about 150 miles northwest of Des Moines.Parrish described Roberts as a “tremendous advocate to this community” and an inspiration to students, and he thanked the public for an outpouring of support. Parrish said he and other lawyers spoke with Roberts for hours Tuesday and “his spirits are high.”Parrish cautioned that it was a “very complex case” that will take time to investigate. He acknowledged Roberts could face deportation at any moment, and it was uncertain whether his new appeals would be considered by the court.WATCH: Full news conference with Ian Roberts’ lawyersFederal authorities are also investigating how Roberts obtained a handgun that was allegedly found in his district vehicle during last week’s arrest, which could lead to criminal charges.The office of U.S. Rep. Zach Nunn, a Republican who represents the Des Moines area, released a redacted excerpt of Roberts’ May 2024 removal order after obtaining the document through the Freedom of Information Act.The document alleges Roberts was provided notice to appear at a removal hearing but failed to show or otherwise apply for relief.An immigration judge found the Department of Homeland Security submitted adequate evidence to support its allegations that Roberts was subject to removal. The judge ordered Roberts to make arrangements to voluntarily leave or face deportation.Parrish affirmed his client was born in Guyana. But Parrish did not say whether he had ever applied for U.S. citizenship or permanent residency, when his work authorization may have expired, and what happened during the removal proceedings last year.He released a March 2025 letter that he said was from Roberts’ prior attorney in Texas informing her client that the case had been closed in his favor. (See that letter and Roberts’ resignation letter below.)“It has been my pleasure to represent you throughout this process, and I am pleased to report that your case has reached a successful resolution,” Texas attorney Jackeline Gonzalez wrote.Gonzalez confirmed the law firm had represented Roberts and provided KCCI with the following statement:”I am communicating with the attorney to ensure I am provided consent to release information as all is protected by attorney client privilege,” she said. “I do not want to jeopardize the client and want to ensure that I abide by the board of ethics.”Norris said the district had not been notified of the removal order until it received a copy Monday.She said Roberts signed a form attesting that he was a U.S. citizen when he was hired in 2023, and he submitted a Social Security card and a driver’s license as verification.When Roberts was cited for traffic violations in Iowa in 2023 and 2024, he presented a Maryland driver’s license in each case that had different addresses, the tickets show.Roberts has been registered to vote at one of the addresses since at least 2017, according to a Maryland voter registration database. The Maryland Board of Elections said Roberts’ registration may have been unintentional, and a review “did not show any voting history.”A Maryland Department of Transportation spokesperson said Roberts held a state license from 2001 to 2024, when it was exchanged to New York. WATCH: Des Moines students walk out of class Tuesday, rally in support of Ian RobertsWATCH: Full news conference from Dr. Ian Roberts’ lawyersMORE:» Subscribe to KCCI’s YouTube page» Download the free KCCI app to get updates on the go: Apple | Google PlayWATCH: DMPS Board Chair Jackie Norris reads statement before board’s vote to accept resignation of Superintendent Ian RobertsWATCH: Des Moines Board of Education votes to accept resignation of Superintendent Ian RobertsDMPS Vice Chair Skylar Mayberry-Mayes’ statement after voting to accept resignation of Superintendent Ian Roberts