DES MOINES, Iowa — Lawyers for the Des Moines public schools leader detained by immigration authorities have asked a court to put deportation proceedings on hold.
Attorney Alfredo Parrish said his law firm filed the request for a stay with the federal immigration court in Omaha, Nebraska, on behalf of Superintendent Ian Roberts. Parrish did not elaborate on the filing, which was made under seal, but said his firm planned a news conference later Tuesday.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents detained Roberts last week, saying the Guyana native was living and working in the country illegally. A state board promptly stripped Roberts of his 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 added that the board could meet as soon as Tuesday evening in a special session.
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.
The office of U.S. Rep. Zach Nunn, a Republican representing 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 that the Department of Homeland Security had submitted evidence supporting its allegations that Roberts was subject to removal. The judge ordered Roberts to make arrangements to voluntarily leave the U.S. or face deportation.
Norris said the Des Moines district had not been notified of the ruling until it received a copy on Monday.
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