Iowa school leader resigns while he challenges his deportation order, his legal team says

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DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The Des Moines public schools chief who's been detained by immigration authorities resigned his position Tuesday while he challenges his looming deportation, his lawyer said.

Former Superintendent Ian Roberts had been under the impression from a prior attorney that his immigration case was “resolved successfully,” said attorney Alfredo Parrish. He said his firm has filed a request for a stay of Roberts' deportation with the federal 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 last 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 night to put Roberts on unpaid leave from his job leading the district, which has more than 30,000 students and nearly 5,000 employees.

Board chair Jackie Norris said Roberts and his legal team would have until noon on Tuesday to provide documentation showing he can legally work in the U.S., or he would face dismissal proceedings. She said the board could meet as soon as Tuesday evening in a special session.

Roberts submitted a letter to the district through his attorney announcing his immediate resignation, saying he did not want to distract the district's leaders and teachers from focusing on educating students.

Roberts, 54, has been held since his arrest at the Woodbury County Jail in Sioux City, Iowa, about 150 miles (240 kilometers) northwest of Des Moines.

At a news conference, Parrish said Roberts had been a “tremendous advocate to this community" who was an inspiration to students, and he thanked the public for what he called an outpouring of support. Parrish said his legal team spoke with Roberts for hours on Tuesday morning and would “work our hearts out for him.”

“His spirits are high,” Parrish said, but cautioned this was a “very complex case” involving multiple jurisdictions that will take time to sort out.

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 Tuesday after obtaining the document through a Freedom of Information Act request.

The document alleges that Roberts was provided notice to appear at a removal hearing but failed to show up or otherwise apply for any other relief.

An immigration judge found the Department of Homeland Security had submitted evidence to support its allegations that Roberts was subject to removal. The judge ordered Roberts to make arrangements to voluntarily leave the U.S. or face deportation.

Parrish said he was still gathering information about the proceedings. But he released a letter dated March 2025 that he said was from Roberts' prior attorney in Texas informing her client the case had been closed in his favor.

“I am writing to inform you of the closure of your immigration case. 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.

An aide to Gonzalez confirmed the firm had represented Roberts but had no immediate comment.

Norris, the school board chair, said the Des Moines district had not been notified of the removal order until it received a copy on Monday.

She said Roberts signed a form attesting that he was a U.S. citizen when he was hired, and submitted a Social Security card and a driver’s license as verification.

When Roberts was cited for traffic violations in the Des Moines area in 2023 and 2024, he presented a Maryland driver’s license in each case, the tickets show. But the licenses listed different addresses.

Roberts has been registered to vote at one of the addresses since at least 2017, according to a Maryland voter registration database.

During both traffic stops, Roberts was driving different vehicles that were registered in Texas, the tickets show. He and his wife own a home in Denton County, Texas, near Dallas and Fort Worth, property records show. He paid both of the Iowa tickets in cash.

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Foley reported from Iowa City, Iowa.