Midwest
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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The 104th Illinois General Assembly adjourned Monday, having passed significant bills relating to children and technology, immigration and rent.
Its most recent legislative session began on Jan. 14. The General Assembly introduced more than 3,000 bills and passed 395, according to the Illinois Municipal League.
HB5511 — The Children’s Social Media Safety Act
The Children’s Social Media Safety Act was passed by both the state Senate and state House Monday. By Jan. 1, 2028, operating system providers must present an interface when users create an account that requires them to indicate their birth date, age or both. The act then requires that operators use default privacy settings for minors if the operator knows the user is a minor, unless a parent of the minor chooses to override them. Violation of the act would be considered illegal under the Consumer Fraud and Deceptive Business Practices Act.
State Rep. Jennifer Gong-Gershowitz (D-Glenview), who represents a part of Evanston, was the lead sponsor of the bill.
Gov. JB Pritzker expressed explicit support for the Children’s Social Media Safety Act, posting a video in March on Facebook in which he spoke about his concerns about children in Illinois who struggle with mental health issues because of social media.
“Social media companies have shown us time and again they won’t step up. So, Illinois is stepping in,” Pritzker said in the video. “I want to empower parents with more tools to help protect their kids, and our kids need to know they’re safe when they’re online.”
HB5024 — a bill preventing detention center facilities from being located close to communities
The bill prohibits detention center facilities from being “located, constructed, or operated within 1,500 feet” of schools, day care centers, public housing and other community locations. It was also passed Monday and is awaiting Pritzker’s approval.
House Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch (D-Westchester), the lead sponsor of the bill, said during a March legislative meeting that his district is deeply impacted by the presence of detention center facilities. Welch said the Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility in Broadview, Illinois, is located in the “heart” of the district he represents.
“This is not an abstract policy debate for me — this is personal, and it is deeply local,” Welch said in March. “This bill says something very simple and very reasonable: detention facilities do not belong in the middle of our neighborhoods. They should not be next to schools.”
The mayor of Broadview, Katrina Thompson, said in a video released by the Illinois House Democrats that some Broadview residents are 600 feet away from ICE facilities.
“House Bill 5024 creates clear, common-sense boundaries that prioritize people over placement,” Thompson said in the video.
HB3564 — The Rental Fee Transparency and Limitations Act
Passed by both houses in April, the bill would amend the Landlord and Tenant Act to prevent landlords from imposing a move-in fee for renters and from “renaming” fees.
The bill would also amend the Illinois Human Rights Act, establishing in-state policy that “access to housing is a fundamental human right in preventing discrimination based on familial status or source of income in real estate transactions.”
More than 40% of Evanston households are renters as of 2024, according to U.S. Census survey data. Around half of these households are cost-burdened, meaning they spend more than 30% of their income on housing costs, according to a September 2025 Evanston Housing Gap Analysis.
The lead sponsor of the bill, State Rep. Nabeela Syed (D-Palatine), said the legislation would benefit both renters and landlords.
“When fees are transparent upfront, renters can budget accurately, and landlords avoid disputes down the line,” Syed said during a press conference in April. “That’s a win for the rental market as a whole.”
The Illinois General Assembly is expected to return for its next legislative session Nov. 17 to 19 and from Dec. 1 to 3 for a Fall Veto Session.
Email: [email protected]
Related Stories:
— Illinois state legislature narrows in on affordability concerns
— Hundreds rally for environmental legislation at State Capitol
— Illinois lawmakers hit back at ICE with constitutional rights and protections bill
INDIANAPOLIS – Indiana Gov. Mike Braun announced an extension of the state’s gas tax holiday through July 7.
The move extends the suspension of Indiana’s 7% Gasoline Usage Tax and the state’s Gasoline Excise Tax for a second time. The current suspension had been scheduled to expire June 7.
Braun said the extension is part of an effort to keep costs down for Indiana families.
“Indiana has the cheapest gas in the country because we are using every tool in the toolbox to save Hoosier families money,” Braun said in a statement. “Affordability is my number one priority.”
By the numbers:
According to AAA, Indiana currently has the nation’s lowest average gas price, with regular gasoline averaging $3.585 per gallon.
State officials said drivers will save more than 62 cents per gallon while both taxes remain suspended. For June, the Gasoline Usage Tax would otherwise total 26.5 cents per gallon, while the Gasoline Excise Tax stands at 36 cents per gallon.
Dig deeper:
The extension is being carried out under Indiana’s energy emergency statute. State officials said an energy emergency declared in April remains in effect and allows the governor to continue related relief measures for up to 120 days.
Indiana lawmakers limited a governor’s emergency powers tied to statewide disaster declarations to 60 days following the COVID-19 pandemic. However, state officials noted that energy emergencies operate under separate legal authority and retain a 120-day maximum duration.
Braun first suspended the Gasoline Usage Tax on April 8. He expanded the relief on May 6 by also suspending the Gasoline Excise Tax, more than doubling the savings available to motorists.
The latest extension means Indiana drivers will continue receiving the tax relief through at least early July.
The Source: The information in this report came from the Indiana Governor’s Office.
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