<p>The Iowa Democratic Senate candidate who hired a now-infamous illegal immigrant to be superintendent of Des Moines Public Schools is in a dead heat with her primary opponent, a new poll obtained by The Daily Wire shows.</p>
<p>Des Moines School Board Chair Jackie <a href="https://www.dmschools.org/board/school-board-members/jackie-norris/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Norris</a>, who is now running to replace outgoing Iowa Senator Joni Ernst (R), was serving the school district when Ian Andre Roberts of Guyana was hired to lead as its superintendent.</p>
<p>Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) arrested Roberts last week after he received a deportation order from an immigration judge in May 2024 and had weapons charges from Feb. 5, 2020, the agency said.</p>
<div id="attachment_979441" style="width: 1210px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-979441" class="wp-image-979441 size-full" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Untitled-design-15.jpg" alt="" width="1200" height="675" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Untitled-design-15.jpg 1200w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Untitled-design-15-300x169.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Untitled-design-15-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Untitled-design-15-768x432.jpg 768w" sizes=" (max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px" /><p id="caption-attachment-979441" class="wp-caption-text">Credit: YouTube//Des Moines Register</p></div>
<p>Since then, the school district has faced backlash for its vetting of Roberts when he was hired in 2023.</p>
<p dir="ltr">A recent poll conducted by the National Republican Senatorial Committee found that Norris has 23% popularity, while candidates Zach Wahls has 24.7%, and Josh Turek has 17.6%.</p>
<p>Meanwhile, 74% of the Democratic voters polled supported Norris&#8217; recent call for &#8220;radical empathy&#8221; following Roberts&#8217; arrest. The poll also revealed that 30% of Democrats believe it&#8217;s permissible to harass elected officials and public figures with whom they disagree.</p>
<p>Fifty-seven percent said they support abolishing ICE altogether.</p>
<p>The poll surveyed 579 Democratic primary voters via text-to-web surveys conducted between Sept. 29 and 30, according to the NRSC.</p>
<p>The margin of error is ±4.05% at the 95% confidence level.</p>
<p>Norris <a href="https://www.dmschools.org/2025/09/announcements-on-detention-of-dr-ian-roberts/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">claimed</a> Monday that “at no point was any DMPS employee or board member notified that Dr. Roberts was not eligible to work, either by a federal agency or Dr. Roberts.”</p>
<p>Roberts also “stated he was a citizen” on his I-9 employment eligibility form and provided a driver’s license and social security card when he was hired, said Norris.</p>
<p>United States Citizenship and Immigration Services also recently revealed to The Daily Wire that Roberts did not undergo an immigration employment verification check through the federal <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/illegal-immigrant-superintendent-wasnt-checked-through-federal-e-verify-system?author=Jennie+Taer&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=4&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Illegal+Immigrant+Superintendent+Wasn%E2%80%99t+Checked+Through+Federal+E-Verify+System" target="_blank" rel="noopener">E-Verify</a> system, which ensures workers are in the country legally and eligible to work, before assuming the role.</p>
<div id="attachment_977665" style="width: 1210px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-977665" class="wp-image-977665 size-full" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/RobertsICE.png" alt="" width="1200" height="740" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/RobertsICE.png 1200w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/RobertsICE-300x185.png 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/RobertsICE-934x576.png 934w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/RobertsICE-768x474.png 768w" sizes=" (max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px" /><p id="caption-attachment-977665" class="wp-caption-text">Credit: Immigration and Customs Enforcement</p></div>
<p>The Dentons Davis Brown law firm was tasked with reviewing the form and accompanying documents and stated that the information provided “did not raise concerns about his eligibility to work,” Norris said.</p>
<p>Des Moines Public Schools also brought on the firm JG Consulting to recruit possible superintendent candidates in December 2022, the school district <a href="https://www.dmschools.org/2025/09/announcements-on-detention-of-dr-ian-roberts/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a>.</p>
<p>The firm used the company Baker-Eubanks to conduct a background check, which “found nothing related to citizenship or immigration matters related to Dr. Roberts,&#8221; the district said.</p>
<p>The school district is now <a href="https://www.dmschools.org/news_release/dmps-files-lawsuit-against-superintendent-search-firm-jg-consulting/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">suing</a> JG Consulting, saying it failed to properly vet Roberts.</p>
<p class="text | article-text">“Dr. Roberts should have never been presented as a potential Superintendent,” Norris said.</p>
<p class="text | article-text">“JG Consulting’s contract required them to bring all known information of a positive or negative nature to the Board, and since that did not happen, the Board will pursue aggressive legal action in accordance with the law.”</p>
<p>A spokesman for Baker-Eubanks recently told The Daily Wire that “all publicly available criminal records” were shared with the school district, which “ultimately chose to proceed with the hire despite having received” Roberts&#8217; history.</p>
<p>Roberts subsequently resigned after being placed on unpaid leave and losing his superintendent license.</p>
<p>When he was initially approached by ICE officers, Roberts fled the scene and abandoned his car in the nearby woods, the agency said. They eventually tracked him down and found that he had a loaded handgun, $3,000 in cash, and a fixed-blade hunting knife.</p>
<div>
<div id="post-body-text" class="css-1ec96ji">
<div class="eo63h7k0 css-1mqhe4y">
<p>Roberts first came to the U.S. in 1999 on a student visa, which has since expired.</p>
</div>
</div>
</div>

<script async src="https://www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
<script async src="https://www.tiktok.com/embed.js"></script><div data-widget-host="revcontent" data-pub-id="165152" data-widget-id="290588"></div><script src="https://delivery.revcontent.com/165152/290588/widget.js"></script>

Iowa Dem Who Hired Illegal Alien Superintendent Nearly Tied in Senate Primary, New Poll Finds

CONTINUE READING

The Jailhouse Discovery Linked To Illegal Alien Accused In Sheridan Gorman’s Murder

EXCLUSIVE: ‘Hunger Striking’ ICE Detainees Are Secretly Pounding Doritos And Honey Buns

Mullin’s Proposal To Pull Customs From Airports Gets Mixed Reviews

Dem Socialist Candidate Wants To Use The Troops Against ICE

Trump DOJ Launches New Battle Against Sanctuary States Over ICE Measures

Camouflage-Clad Chinese Illegals Caught At Border

News

Des Moines

illegal immigrant

Immigration and Customs Enforcement

Iowa

A video goes viral showing a baby being refused his mother by two gay "dads". This is just the tip of the iceberg, which is why we will have an important discussion today about surrogacy. 

Hour 1

The Matt Walsh Show

Ep. 1765 - This Video Is One Of The Worst Things I've Seen In A Long Time 

The Strait of Hormuz officially opens for business (kind of), the Pope makes “shocking” comments on immigration, and President Trump promises UFO disclosure at TPUSA. 


The Michael Knowles Show

Ep. 1956 -  Pope Leo's "SHOCKING" Immigration Comments EXPLAINED

A false miscreed has corrupted our leadership class.


The Andrew Klavan Show

Ep. 1275 - Dumb, Dumber and Progressive

President Trump announces a 10-day ceasefire between Lebanon and Israel, a murder-suicide involving former Democratic Lieutenant Governor Justin Fairfax shakes Virginia, and France and Britain hold a conference to secure the Strait of Hormuz – after the Iranian conflict ends. Get the facts first with Morning Wire.

- - -

Ep. 2738

- - -

Wake up with new Morning Wire merch: https://bit.ly/4lIubt3

- - -

Today's Sponsors:

Alliance Defending Freedom - Visit https://JoinADF.com/WIRE or text 'WIRE' to 83848 to learn more.

Pocket Hose - Text MORNING to 64000 to get a FREE pocket pivot and their 10-pattern sprayer with the purchase of ANY size Copper Head hose. Message and data rates may apply.

Morning Wire

U.S. Expands Hormuz Blockade & VA Fairfax Deaths Investigated | 4.17.26

U.S. Expands Hormuz Blockade & VA Fairfax Deaths Investigated | 4.17.26 [Member Exclusive]

A ceasefire goes into effect between Israel and Lebanon, a tragic murder-suicide rocks Virginia, and Dairy Queen deploys AI in the drive-thru. Get the facts first with Evening Wire.
- - -
Ep. 2737
- - -
Wake up with new Morning Wire merch: https://bit.ly/4lIubt3 
- - -
Today’s Sponsor:

Alliance Defending Freedom - Visit https://JoinADF.com/WIRE or text “WIRE” to 83848 to learn more.


Evening Wire: Lebanon Ceasefire Begins & Murder-Suicide Rocks VA | 4.16.26

The Pendragon Cycle

Menu

— News —

Iowa Dem Who Hired Illegal Alien Superintendent Nearly Tied in Senate Primary, New Poll Finds