Iowa Schools Chief Resigns After ICE Arrest

The superintendent of Des Moines Public Schools, Ian Roberts, has resigned following his arrest last week by Immigration and Customs Enforcement, which alleges he was living and working in the country without legal status. Roberts, originally from Guyana and a former Olympic runner, has led the district since 2023 and built a national reputation as an educational leader, per the New York Times. He's been in custody since Friday, with ICE stating he was ordered to leave the US in 2024 and had no legal right to remain, reports the Iowa Capital Dispatch.

In a resignation letter, Roberts' attorney, Alfredo Parrish, wrote that his client's main concern is to not distract the district's focus on education for its 30,000 students. Parrish indicated that Roberts is fighting the deportation order and seeking to reopen his immigration case, citing a previous communication from a Texas immigration lawyer that described his case as having come to a "successful resolution," per the Times. That lawyer, Jackeline Gonzalez, didn't comment further, citing ongoing efforts to obtain Roberts' permission to discuss his case.

The resignation letter surfaced just as the Justice Department announced a probe into whether the district's hiring practices violate federal discrimination laws. The investigation, part of the Trump administration's push against diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives, questions the district's affirmative action goals. Conservative groups have criticized Des Moines' approach to racial equity, while some community members defend the efforts.

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Roberts' arrest sparked student protests across Des Moines, with hundreds walking out of class to rally against his detention and broader immigration enforcement policies. The Des Moines School Board unanimously voted Tuesday night to accept Roberts' resignation. District officials say Roberts claimed US citizenship upon hiring and that his background had been vetted by outside firms. Parrish says that Roberts was indeed born in Guyana, but the attorney didn't say whether Roberts "had ever applied for US citizenship or permanent residency, when his work authorization may have expired, and what happened during the removal proceedings last year," per the AP.