DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — 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.
Ian 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.
The board had given Roberts until noon Tuesday to provide documentation showing he can legally work in the U.S. It plans to hold a meeting Tuesday night to consider whether to accept the resignation or move to fire Roberts.
The 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 (240 kilometers) 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.
Federal 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 Tuesday 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.
“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 law firm had represented Roberts but gave no immediate comment.
School Board Chair Jackie 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.
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Foley reported from Iowa City, Iowa.