A high-profile illegal alien who served as superintendent of Iowa’s largest public school system has been revealed as a registered Democratic voter in Maryland, according to newly released unredacted voter registration records. Conservative watchdog groups say the case highlights a broader problem of noncitizens appearing on U.S. voter rolls with little oversight.
The American Accountability Foundation (AAF) and the Restoring Integrity and Trust in Elections (RITE) obtained unredacted documents from the Prince George’s County, Maryland, Board of Elections. These records confirmed that Ian Andre Roberts, a Jamaican national who entered the U.S. in 1994, falsely claimed U.S. citizenship when registering to vote in Maryland.
Initially, Maryland officials released redacted versions of Roberts’ voter registration forms. However, after pressure from AAF and RITE, the state released full documents, revealing that election officials took Roberts at his word without verifying his citizenship status. RITE stated the case exposes significant flaws in Maryland’s election system.
“This case demonstrates exactly why Congress enacted the NVRA’s public disclosure mandate,” said RITE president Justin Riemer. “Once the records were produced, we saw just how weak Maryland’s safeguards really are.”
Roberts was arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in September while serving as superintendent of the Des Moines Public School District. He had been working illegally in the U.S. since his employment authorization expired in 2020. His arrest shocked parents and taxpayers, given his influential role overseeing Iowa’s largest school system.
Despite claims from the Maryland State Board of Elections that Roberts did not vote, conservative groups argue his presence on the voter rolls signals a broader national issue. AAF President Tom Jones emphasized the scale of the problem, stating, “Maryland is not serious about keeping noncitizens off the voter rolls. Sadly, there are likely thousands more non-citizens on Maryland’s voter rolls.”
The Roberts case underscores what many conservatives see as a loophole in the National Voter Registration Act (NVRA), which allows voter registration with limited verification, relying heavily on self-attestation of citizenship. Groups like RITE argue this allows illegal aliens and other noncitizens to slip into the voter system unnoticed.
The incident also raises concerns about school systems failing to vet top administrators, especially when those positions are entrusted with oversight of public education and taxpayer funds. The case continues to prompt calls for tighter enforcement of immigration and election laws at both the state and federal levels.
