Des Moines Public Schools officials may be considering the use of E-Verify, a federal system for checking job applicant’s ability to legally work in the U.S., following the immigration arrest of former Superintendent Ian Roberts.
The Des Moines School Board moved Friday to sue JG Consulting, the firm contracted in the search leading to Roberts’ hire, saying that his immigration status, previous criminal charges, and falsification of other parts of his resume such as his education credentials, should have been brought to their attention during the hiring search and background check process.
Josh Romero, the attorney for JG Consulting, said in a statement Friday that Roberts had provided necessary verification of his ability to legally work in the U.S. by completing the I-9 employment eligibility verification form and submitted other required documentation during the hiring process.
But some officials say further vetting on applicants’ immigration status should have been performed. One step that has been called for is the use of E-Verify, the federal web-based system that uses federal documentation to check job applicants’ legal eligibility to work in the country.
U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley released further information on the U.S. Department of Homeland Security responding to his request Sept. 30 seeking additional information about Roberts’ criminal and immigration history. According to a release from Grassley, DHS officials shared with the Iowa Republicans’ office that Des Moines Public Schools has never been enrolled in the E-Verify system.
The federal officials also said if E-Verify was used in Roberts’ case, his immigration status should have been flagged.
“Based on the facts that USCIS is aware of, Mr. Roberts should have not possessed any valid documentation evidencing employment authorization,” the DHS response to Grassley’s office read. “If an E-Verify case had been created using an expired Employment Authorization Document (EAD), it would have resulted in a nonconfirmation.”
Phil Roeder, a DMPS spokesperson, said in a statement the district had not violated any laws by not confirming Roberts’ ability to work using the E-Verify system.
“While the school district does not currently use E-Verify, and it is not a requirement of Iowa employers, the information presented by the superintendent candidate on and with the I-9 form was consistent with the claim that he was a U.S. citizen,” Roeder said. “The district will continue to cooperate with and respond to state and federal officials on any issue.”
State lawmakers have proposed requiring employers use E-Verify during recent legislative sessions. In 2024, the Iowa Senate approved a measure requiring employers to use the federal system in addition to prohibiting businesses from knowingly employing an “unauthorized alien employee.” These measures have failed to advance in the House in previous legislative sessions.
Senate Majority Leader Mike Klimesh said in a statement Tuesday the Roberts situation “has highlighted the need for policies at the state level to combat illegal immigration” — and that he expects conversations on requiring employers to use E-Verify will come up in 2026.
“In the past several years, Senate Republicans have passed bans on sanctuary cities, given local law enforcement more tools to enforce immigration laws at the state level, and have passed E-Verify legislation several times,” Klimesh said. “E-Verify and other issues to address illegal immigration will continue to be a topic of conversation amongst Senate Republicans over the coming weeks and months heading into the legislative session. I expect we will continue to lead on protecting Iowans from again experiencing this type of fraud and continue strengthening our state regarding illegal immigration.”
Roberts was detained by U.S. Customs and Immigration Enforcement in September, resigned from his position as DMPS superintendent and had his license revoked by the Iowa Board of Educational Examiners.
Roberts, who is a citizen of Guyana according to court records, had been hired by DMPS in 2023. Documents released by DHS last week confirmed Roberts was given an order of removal by an immigration judge in May 2024 and had a criminal history that included charges related to firearms and possession of narcotics.
In addressing the DMPS lawsuit, Romero said JG Consulting had performed its duty, reporting some information — like the fact that he had not received a doctorate from Morgan State University which he claimed on his resume — to the board before it decided to move forward with Roberts’ hire.
