Victor Davis Hanson: How an Illegal Alien Cheated the System to the Top—Until ICE Caught Him

Oct 7, 2025

A scandal unfolds in Des Moines as the illegal superintendent Ian Roberts, with a fabricated résumé, is caught by ICE. Victor Davis Hanson highlights the absurdity of hiring based on DEI principles, overlooking crucial checks like citizenship and qualifications. The community's misguided goodwill fuels the controversy, despite Roberts' criminal background. As public support wanes, the fallout raises important questions about meritocracy and the dangers of prioritizing demographic representation over competence.

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ANECDOTE

Superintendent Arrested By ICE

Ian Roberts, hired as Des Moines superintendent, was arrested by ICE and found to be an illegal resident with a deportation order.
Investigators also discovered he lied about degrees, had prior weapons issues, and carried a loaded gun and $3,000 in cash.

ANECDOTE

False Degrees And Questionable Possessions

When arrested, Roberts had a loaded Glock and $3,000 in cash and was later revealed to have conflicting claims about multiple degrees.
The school board learned he never had a doctorate and couldn't verify which degrees he actually held.

INSIGHT

Vetting Failures Enabled Deception

The hire exposed lax vetting: the search firm and board failed to verify citizenship and academic claims.
Victor Davis Hanson argues routine checks like calling institutions and recommenders were apparently skipped.

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Ian Roberts, the superintendent of Des Moines, Iowa, boasted an impressive résumé—complete with a supposed doctor of education degree.

But what truly stood out was how Roberts managed to advance his career on a résumé filled with false information. What was real, however, was his record: He was living in the U.S. illegally, had an active deportation order, and had a prior weapons charge.

How did a man with fake degrees, false citizenship claims, and a criminal record end up leading an entire school district? Victor Davis Hanson says the answer lies in the dangers of DEI on today’s episode of “Victor Davis Hanson: In His Own Words.”

“ Why would a sophisticated city and a sophisticated school district hire someone without specifying his citizen status or his degrees? And the answer was: He was a diversity, equity, and inclusion candidate. He was a charismatic, apparently, they thought, black American. This was mostly a white city. It had large minority population. They felt it would be a goodwill gesture to hire the first African American—although he was not an African American, he was a citizen of a foreign country. And he was here illegally. But nevertheless, they thought that would be reflecting on their goodwill, their sensitivity, their liberality. “

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(0:00) The Firing of Ian Roberts

(0:57) Uncovering the Lies 

(4:24) The Role of DEI in Hiring Decisions 

(6:01) The Dangers of DEI 

(8:06) Conclusion

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