Des Moines School Superintendent Resigns After ICE Detention Amid Deportation Fight

Ian Roberts, superintendent of Des Moines public schools and a former Olympic runner from Guyana, resigned amid a looming deportation order after being detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) for allegedly living and working illegally in the U.S. Despite previous assurances from another lawyer that his case was resolved, Roberts' legal team is actively seeking to pause his deportation and reopen his immigration proceedings. Following his detention, a state board revoked Roberts' superintendent license, and the school board placed him on unpaid leave before he submitted his resignation to avoid distracting the district. The arrest sparked significant community backlash, including student walkouts and a Justice Department Civil Rights Division investigation into whether the district's hiring practices, aimed at increasing teachers of color, involved racial discrimination. The district's employment policies and diversity programs have come under scrutiny for potentially violating federal anti-discrimination laws. Roberts remains detained as his legal team pursues all available options while the school board prepares to formally address his resignation.