Midwest

Heavily redacted voting records for school superintendent nabbed by ICE spark outrage

Published

8 months ago

November 24, 2025

Heavily redacted voting records for school superintendent nabbed by ICE spark outrage

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A legal fight is brewing over a Maryland county board of elections’ heavy redactions to the voter registration records of an illegal immigrant who served as superintendent of Iowa’s largest school system until he was arrested by federal authorities this year, Fox News Digital has learned.

“This was shocking,” Justin Riemer, CEO and president of the conservative legal group Restoring Integrity and Trust in Elections (RITE), told Fox News Digital in a Zoom interview on Friday. “When I saw the news reporting, and they showed screenshots of the registration applications with all this information redacted, I was just shocked.”

Riemer was reacting to Prince George’s County’s Board of Elections’ recent release of voter registration documents belonging to illegal alien Ian Andre Roberts, which included blacking out Roberts’ sex, whether he checked the citizenship box, his date of birth and other information. The election attorney is representing RITE and conservative research group the American Accountability Foundation (AAF) in their efforts to receive the voter registration documents with fewer redactions.

Roberts, who is originally from Guyana and first entered the U.S. in 1994, was working as the superintendent of the Des Moines public school district when Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrested him in September. Roberts was not legally permitted to work in the country after an employment authorization card expired in 2020, Fox News Digital previously reported.

SCHOOL CHIEF TO SUSPECT: ICE ARREST OF DES MOINES SUPERINTENDENT EXPOSES FAKE DEGREES, DRUG CONVICTIONS

Former Des Moines superintendent Ian Andre Roberts, who was detained by ICE in September. (Polk County Sheriff)

The arrest of an illegal immigrant working in such a high-profile position shocked conservatives and others. Additional details surrounding his lengthy rap sheet surfaced as journalists and other investigators looked into his history. It was soon discovered that he was listed as a registered Democratic voter in Maryland, where he previously lived, and that he had a conviction for reckless driving in 2012, the Department of Homeland Security reported in October.

The Maryland State Board of Elections previously said Roberts did not vote in elections.

“I’m an election law expert, not an immigration expert, but it doesn’t take one to see just how… broken the system has been,” Riemer told Fox Digital. “He has multiple criminal charges. He has worked in multiple school districts where, if they were doing the proper citizenship and work authorization checks, this should have been caught. It’s really just unbelievable how this guy has managed to jump around the country, working in school districts where he’s around children.”

FORMER DES MOINES SCHOOLS SUPERINTENDENT TAKEN INTO DOJ CUSTODY ON FEDERAL FIREARMS, IMMIGRATION CHARGES

As concern mounted surrounding Roberts, the American Accountability Foundation filed a public records request with Prince George’s County to obtain his voter registration application. The county’s board of elections complied with the request, but redacted key information, sparking what could turn into a legal showdown.

“The American Accountability Foundation called the county out on it and said, ‘… you’re not allowed to redact this information,’” Riemer said, adding that it’s understandable for the county to redact information such as an individual’s Social Security number or driver’s license number, but not a person’s gender or whether they answered in the affirmative that they are a U.S. citizen.

RITE published copies of the redacted documents, which show 18 black boxes blocking out information across just two pages’ worth of documents. Riemer explained the request was made under the National Voter Registration Act – a federal law that simplified voter registration processes when an eligible individual renews their driver’s license – which includes a provision allowing public access to such records.

Riemer sent a letter to the Prince George’s County Board of Elections on Tuesday demanding the county turn over the records to his clients with fewer redactions as allowed by law. The election attorney, who previously served as chief counsel to the Republican National Committee, gave the county board until Dec. 1 while noting legal action could be in the future if the election board fails to comply.

LAWMAKER REVEALS HOW DES MOINES SCHOOLS CHIEF REGISTERED TO VOTE DESPITE ILLEGAL STATUS

Republicans say that illegal alien Ian Andre Roberts being registered to vote in Maryland raises serious concerns about the state’s voting processes. (Keith Srakocic/AP Photo and ICE)

“Please provide my clients with the records no later than Monday, December 1, 2025. If you redact or withhold any portion of the requested records beyond the limited exceptions above, we will immediately follow up with a written notice of your violation of 52 U.S.C. § 20507(i). If you do not remedy such violation within 90 days, my clients will sue you in Maryland federal district court and collect reasonable attorneys’ fees, litigation expenses and other costs,” Riemer’s letter to the county board of elections stated.

Riemer said he has not yet heard from the board of elections, and speculated that the county board is in the midst of speaking with the state board of elections and the state attorney general’s office about next steps.

“If they noticed that Restoring Integrity and Trust in Elections was part of this effort to get this information, they should have, because we sued Maryland last year for violating the National Voter Registration Act for restricting public access to registration records just like they’re doing here and won that lawsuit in March. And so they just continuously are doing these practices that are not transparent, they’re not what federal law requires, it’s not what the public deserves,” he added.

Fox News Digital reached out to the Prince George’s County Board of Elections for comment on the letter and redactions on Friday afternoon but did not immediately receive a reply.

DEMOCRATS SILENT ON ILLEGAL ALIEN REGISTERED TO VOTE IN BLUE STATE

Roberts was criminally charged on Oct. 2 with being an illegal alien in possession of firearms, according to DHS. (John Moore/Getty Images)

Riemer said that the case is one of many that show concern over non-citizens being on voter roles is not “political theater” as Democrats have claimed amid conservatives rallying around stronger voter integrity laws nationwide.

“We know it happens in the thousands. Oregon, for example, reported registering a couple thousand non-citizens through their DMV,” he said.

Roberts was taken into the U.S. Marshals’ custody following his September arrest and is set to be prosecuted, DHS said in October. The federal agency has released the suspect’s lengthy history of run-ins with the law that stretch back to 1996, when he was charged with criminal possession of narcotics with intent to sell in New York, a charge for third-degree unauthorized use of a vehicle in Queens, New York, in 1998 that was later dropped and the 2012 conviction for reckless driving in Maryland.

More recently, Roberts faced charges in 2020 for second-degree criminal possession of a weapon and other weapons charges and a 2022 conviction for unlawful possession of a loaded firearm in Pennsylvania.

Roberts is also now facing charges related to his arrest in September, which included him attempting to flee law enforcement officers, according to DHS. He was found to be in possession of $3,000 in cash, a Glock 9mm pistol and a hunting knife at the time of his arrest. Roberts was criminally charged on Oct. 2 with being an illegal alien in possession of firearms, according to DHS.

The Iowa Board of Educational Examiners revoked Roberts’ license following his arrest and he is no longer permitted to serve as a superintendent in the state.

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Related Topics:immigration Iowa Maryland

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Illinois

2 teens arrested after 5 family members killed in Illinois shooting

Published

34 minutes ago

July 14, 2026

Press Room

2 teens arrested after 5 family members killed in Illinois shooting

Editor’s note: This article discusses domestic violence. If you or someone you love is experiencing domestic violence or an abusive relationship, call the National Domestic Abuse Hotline at 1-800-799-SAFE (1-800-799-7233) or visit www.thehotline.org. Callers can remain anonymous.

Two teenagers have been taken into custody following a shooting spree targeting a family in southern Illinois that left five people dead and two others wounded, authorities said.

The 15- and 16-year-old suspects were arrested on July 12 at Frank Holten State Park, a recreation area near the city of East St. Louis, according to the Illinois State Police. The suspects were apprehended after state police officers executed a precision immobilization technique, or PIT, maneuver on a vehicle that one of the suspects was driving.

During a brief news conference, Illinois State Police Director Brendan Kelly said the shootings unfolded at three locations within a few miles of one another and targeted members of the same family.

“At least seven members of the targeted family were shot at multiple locations in the East St. Louis area, and as of right now, five victims have been confirmed deceased,” Kelly said, adding that the two other victims were seriously injured.

At least one of the suspects is related to the victims, according to Kelly. State police declined to provide further details on the suspects and the circumstances surrounding the shooting.

Kelly noted that state police are working with the St. Clair County State’s Attorney’s Office and will seek charges against the suspects. The investigation into the incident remains ongoing.

East St. Louis is a city in St. Clair County, Illinois, and has a population of nearly 18,000, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. The city is located across the Mississippi River from downtown St. Louis.

Victims slain in shooting spree identified

State police identified the five people killed as Cherie L. May, 49; Devin D. May, 24; Patricia A. May, 74; Quentin L. Thompson, 21; and Shania W. Thompson, 25.

One victim was killed near North 39th Street and Summit Avenue, three were killed at the Samuel Gompers Homes, and another died at Jones Park, according to Kelly.

The two other victims were wounded at Jones Park and survived, Kelly said. They sustained serious injuries and were being treated at a hospital in St. Louis.

“These alleged acts of horrific violence, taking this number of lives, here in this community it’s terrible. It’s evil, but it will not keep this city down,” Kelly said.

Latest domestic-related shooting

The incident in East St. Louis is the latest domestic-related shooting to occur in the United States in recent months.

A man killed four people, including his parents, brother, and his brother’s girlfriend, in a shooting at the family’s home in suburban Detroit before surrendering to police on June 9, authorities said. At the time, police said the suspect had a “contentious relationship” with his parents.

On June 1, a 52-year-old man killed six members of his family in a shooting spree across a small city in eastern Iowa in an apparent domestic dispute, according to local police. The suspect killed himself when confronted by officers, police said.

In May, the Houston Police Department said it was investigating a murder-suicide after four relatives were found fatally shot in their home. Authorities later reported that evidence indicated a 52-year-old man had shot his wife and two children before shooting himself.

A community in northwest Louisiana was rocked by a mass shooting in April that left eight children dead. At the time, the Shreveport Police Department said the suspected gunman killed seven of his own children and injured his wife and another woman.

That same month, authorities said former Virginia Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax fatally shot his wife, Cerina Fairfax, before killing himself while the couple was involved in a “complicated or messy” divorce. Police said the couple’s teenage son and daughter were at the home at the time of the incident but were not harmed.

Domestic violence in the United States

According to the Johns Hopkins Center for Gun Violence Solutions, domestic violence is a “public health crisis, and, given the accessibility and availability of guns in America, this violence is often perpetrated with a firearm.”

Researchers have found that almost half of all women murdered in the United States are killed by a current or former intimate partner, the center states on its website. Of those cases, the center said over half involved a firearm.

The center also noted that about 68% of mass shooting cases that occurred from 2014 to 2019 included a perpetrator who either killed family or intimate partners, or had a history of domestic violence.

A 2023 investigation from the Indianapolis Star, part of the USA TODAY Network, identified at least 227 family annihilation cases across the United States from 2020 to April 2023, resulting in 754 deaths. The newspaper’s analysis found such killings occurred on average once every five days.

The investigation described family annihilations as among the most extreme forms of domestic violence. It also found that family annihilators killed themselves in 64% of the cases.

Contributing: Mary Claire Molloy, Indianapolis Star

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Indiana

Indiana sets standards for schools to request four day week waivers

Published

40 minutes ago

July 14, 2026

Press Room

Indiana sets standards for schools to request four day week waivers

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. (WSBT) — New standards are now in place for Indiana schools to request four day school week waivers.

Operation Education told you about the pilot program at Vinton Elementary near Lafayette back in 2024.

Operation Education: Indiana elementary pilots 4-day school week

That pilot program ends next spring.

It is the only school in Indiana operating on a four day week schedule.

The state’s new standards mean schools have to earn an “A” grade to be considered.

They also have to offer transportation for students who choose to attend a school on a five day schedule, pay teachers at least $45,000 a year, and offer enrichment and remediation at no cost to parents on the fifth day.

The State Board of Education would then decide if the school can move to a four day week.

More than 800 schools nationwide now operate on that schedule.

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Iowa

Some Iowa originals to get the spotlight in RAGBRAI overnight town

Published

46 minutes ago

July 14, 2026

Press Room

Some Iowa originals to get the spotlight in RAGBRAI overnight town

RAGBRAI will feature popular Iowa party bands Hairball and the Pork Tornadoes on back-to-back nights.
Guthrie Center’s entertainment lineup will highlight original Iowa music, including The Nadas and The Weary Ramblers.

What would RAGBRAI be without Hairball and the Pork Tornadoes?

Cyclists on the July 19-25 ride will have the chance to rock with both of the venerable Iowa party bands as they perform on back-to-back nights.

They’re perennials on the Register’s Annual Great Bicycle Ride Across Iowa, as traditional as the Mississippi River tire dip. Hairball will bring its signature pyrotechnic, costumed arena rock tribute to the main stage in the overnight town of Boone on Tuesday, July 21, and the Pork Tornadoes will be in Marshalltown on July 22 to perform selections from their seemingly endless, genre-spanning repertoire.

Other headlining party-cover faves booked in RAGBRAI overnight towns will include the Spazmatics in Dyersville, Not Quite Brothers in Independence and Gut Feeling in Onawa.

But if you’re a fan of original music, make plans to spend a little extra time at the stage in Guthrie Center, the Monday, Day 2, overnight town.

While Gimikk, a RAGBRAI classic cover band that also proudly performs some originals, will be the headliner, don’t miss the other Iowa originals on the bill.

Most prominent are the Nadas, a fixture on the state’s music scene for nearly 35 years. Co-founders Jason Walsmith and Mike Butterworth got their start in Ames in the early 1990s while students at Iowa State University. Expanding into a five-member ensemble, they worked to build a following across the country and have sold thousands of records on their independent Authentic label featuring their original, alt-rock-leaning folk-Americana tunes.

Marking 25 years of the Nadas in 2018, Walsmith told the Register, “As long as it’s fun, we’re always going to do it.” And they still are, performing regularly and adding another album, “Come Along for the Ride,” to their lengthy discography in 2023.

Also on the bill: a duo that has launched with a bang. The Weary Ramblers, Iowans Chad Elliott and Kathryn Severing Fox, are songwriting and performing partners who got their start in 2022. Elliott, a veteran guitarist and singer on the Iowa scene, and Severing Fox, a classically trained musician steeped in jazz violin, released a debut album in 2024 that hit the top 10 on the Americana charts and produced a hit single, “Pretty Lights of Denver.”

In December 2025, they collected a major award for independent songwriters presented at the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville, Tennessee. With a second album starting to chart, they were back in Tennessee again in January to compete in the International Blues Challenge, and came home the overall winners for solo or duo act.

In growing demand as touring performers, they opened for the Des Moines Symphony at the annual Yankee Doodle Pops show July 3 on the grounds of the Iowa Capitol, drawing an enthusiastic response from a crowd of nearly 100,000.

Superintendent summons former students to put on a show

Steve Smith, the Guthrie Center RAGBRAI entertainment chair who tapped the Nadas and Weary Ramblers, is high on a third act: Hillbilly Air Show, the afternoon’s opener. They’re a country duo that includes former Navy fighter pilot Brick Imerman and whose songbook is rich with the tunes of honky-tonk balladeers like George Strait and Alan Jackson.

One thing Imerman, of Panora, and Elliott, a Lamoni native who lives in Jefferson, have in common: They spent their school days in Guthrie Center, where Smith was a teacher and now is superintendent of the regional school district.

“There’s just a personal connection,” said Smith, who counts himself a big fan of the musical careers his former students have forged. And he said he’s been kicking himself for 25 years after failing to book the Nadas for a school reunion when he had the chance,. He said he wasn’t going to pass up the opportunity a second time.

Smith said he got some pushback from other Guthrie Center RAGBRAI organizers for his unorthodox choices, but stuck by them.

He said he hopes the town’s show and an effort to keep food and beverage vendor prices reasonable will reward the riders for climbing some of the 2026 ride’s steepest hills coming into and leaving town.

So far, he said, he’s gotten a positive reception from veteran RAGBRAI riders who’ve heard about his eclectic music lineup.

“They said they don’t always go to the (overnight town) shows, but, ‘If you’re having them, we’re there,’” he said.

Hillbilly Air Show goes on at 2 p.m., followed by the Weary Ramblers at 4 p.m. and the Nadas at 6:30 p.m. Smith invites Des Moines metro residents who aren’t on the ride to join the party.

“We’re a town of 1,600 that’s going to be invaded by another 30,000 to 40,000, but we’re ready,” he said.