Iowa Republican lawmakers on the state House Government Oversight Committee are taking steps to probe Des Moines Public Schools over Ian Roberts’ employment as superintendent after U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials detained him for allegedly being in the United States illegally.
Committee Chair Rep. Charley Thomson, R-Charles City, sent a letter on Friday, Sept. 26, to Interim Superintendent Matt Smith, directing DMPS to “preserve all documents and evidence” related to the allegations against Roberts and more broadly, regarding general concerns about DMPS employees’ immigration status.
Thomson’s letter, posted on Facebook, reads: “The Des Moines Public Schools may have documents and materials which may have utility in analyzing the truth, falsity or background of the Roberts allegations as well as the truth, falsity or background of any current or former employee of the Des Moines Public Schools who may be credibly accused of (a) being simultaneously a Des Moines Public School employee and a foreign national illegally present in the United States, or (b) being a Des Moines Public School employee and simultaneously subject to a final order of removal by an immigration judge.”
DMPS Interim Superintendent Matthew Smith speaks during a press conference on the arrest of Superintendent Ian Roberts by ICE on Sept. 26, 2025, in Des Moines.
It directs DMPS officials to preserve relevant evidence in its current state. It warns, “Any destruction, alteration or failure to preserve such evidence will be considered spoliation and may result in severe consequences, including sanctions, adverse inference determinations, monetary penalties and potential criminal liability.”
A DMPS spokesperson hasn’t responded to a request for comment on how the district plans to respond to the letter.
Thomson sent the letter hours after Roberts’ Sept. 26 arrest and detention by ICE agents after federal officials said a court had issued a “final order of removal” in May 2024 for the deportation of the Guyana native and longtime U.S. resident.
Tricia McLaughlin, a spokeswoman for the Department of Homeland Security, previously said Roberts abandoned his car and fled from police, and was allegedly in possession of a loaded handgun, a large amount of cash and a hunting knife.
Roberts was arrested in what DHS described as a “targeted enforcement operation” and is now being held in Woodbury County Jail.
Ian Roberts speaks with the media after being named the new DMPS superintendent during a Des Moines Public Schools board meeting at Central Campus on Tuesday, May 16, 2023, in Des Moines.
Iowa House Democrats are waiting to get more information and declined to comment “until more unfolds,” a spokesperson said.
But some House Democrats have individually weighed in on Roberts’ arrest, including state Rep. Rob Johnson, D-Des Moines.
“I understand there may be information out there that could be used to cast him in a negative light, but let’s be honest, every one of us has something we wouldn’t want broadcast to the world,” Johnson wrote on Facebook Sept. 27. “Even the highest offices in our nation are not immune to that. I refuse to allow our community to be drawn into a narrative that erases Dr. Roberts’ contributions. He is a good man, and he has been good for our community.”
More: Hundreds protest DMPS superintendent’s arrest by ICE agents, call to ‘free Dr. Roberts’
This is not the first time this year Thomson has issued such a letter on immigration matters.
In February, he sent a similar letter to leaders of the nonprofit Iowa Migrant Movement for Justice directing the group that works with immigrants to turn over tax documents, donor information, the group’s full membership list, and information on clients who have received services from the group.
A nonprofit spokesperson hasn’t responded to requests for comment.
GOP lawmakers consider action to address ‘failure in oversight’
Republican state lawmakers, who control the majority in both chambers of the Iowa Legislature, are signaling an appetite to strengthen school hiring protocols in the wake of Roberts’ detainment.
Rep. Austin Harris, R-Moulton, said in a Facebook post that the allegations represented a “failure in oversight that cannot be tolerated in our education system.”
Rep. Austin Harris, R-Moulton, speaks on the Iowa House floor on Thursday, Feb. 13, 2025, at the Iowa State Capitol.
He said all Iowa school districts should immediately review and strengthen their hiring policies to ensure thorough background checks and verify legal work eligibility and compliance with federal immigration laws.
“I will not hesitate to introduce and pass legislation to mandate enhanced hiring protocols, increase transparency in district operations, and protect the resources allocated to our schools through the appropriations process,” Harris said. “Iowa’s families deserve nothing less than a safe, lawful, and effective education system for their children.”
More: Iowa leaders respond to the arrest of DMPS superintendent Ian Roberts by ICE
Sen. Lynn Evans, R-Aurelia, who chairs the Senate Education Committee, wrote on Facebook calling on the Iowa Department of Education and the Board of Educational Examiners to “take the appropriate disciplinary action on his license, if warranted, to ensure he never works in an Iowa school district again.”
He cited Iowa Administrative Code 282, which states that licensees must “abide by all federal, state and local laws applicable to the fulfillment of professional obligations.”
“The Board of Educational Examiners (BOEE) has the authority to investigate and sanction licensure for a lack of professional judgment, especially if their educator’s actions have a negative impact on the school community or their ability to perform their duties effectively,” Evans wrote.
Lynn Evans
Rep. Taylor Collins, R-Mediapolis, who chairs the House Higher Education Committee, in a post on X mentioned the state’s “authority for the Iowa Board of Education to take temporary control of the district” and urged all members of the DMPS school board to resign.
It’s unclear whether a state takeover of the district has broad support.
House probe comes as federal officials ramp up immigration enforcement
The Government Oversight Committee’s letter comes as President Donald Trump has stepped up immigration enforcement efforts, including deportations, at the federal level since returning to the White House in January.
In Iowa, the Department of Public Safety signed a memorandum of agreement with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement in March that designates a three-member DPS team to partner with ICE to carry out some federal immigration functions, including arrests and questioning.
Iowa Migrant Movement for Justice is suing the state over a law signed by Gov. Kim Reynolds in 2024 that makes it a state crime for someone who has been deported or barred from entering the United States to be in Iowa. The law is on hold until the lawsuit is decided.
Reynolds said in a statement Sept. 27 that Roberts’ arrest was “shocking,” though she couldn’t comment on details of the case while the investigation remains underway.
“But I want to be clear: we are a nation of laws that must be enforced,” Reynolds said. “Those who believe immigration laws are optional are dangerously wrong. When laws are ignored, or when people are led to believe there will be no consequences, our communities are at risk. Iowans won’t stand for that. We must enforce the law, every time, to protect our families and our future.”
Marissa Payne covers the Iowa Statehouse and politics for the Register. Reach her by email at mjpayne@registermedia.com. Follow her on X, formerly known as Twitter, at @marissajpayne.
This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Iowa GOP lawmakers probe DMPS after superintendent’s arrest by ICE
