The Des Moines School Board is suing the consulting firm that conducted its search for a superintendent in 2023, resulting in the hiring of Ian Roberts. The board made its decision during a special session that began at 8 a.m. on Friday. The lawsuit against JG Consulting, a Texas-based firm, was filed in Polk County […]
Immigration
Posted inCommunity/News
DMPS was ‘victim of deception,’ says school board; former superintendent Ian Roberts transferred from Woodbury County Jail to DOJ custody
On Wednesday evening, the Des Moines School Board issued a statement in which Chair Jackie Norris called the board “a victim of deception” by Ian Roberts, who the board hired as superintendent of Des Moines Public Schools (DMPS) in May 2023. It was a noticeable shift in how the board has talked about Roberts since Friday, […]
Posted inLetters
Letter to the editor: Deportation is wrong, period
By Nate Holdren, Des Moines I write this letter to the editor on the evening of Friday, Sept. 26 after hearing the news that Ian Roberts, the superintendent of the public school system here in Des Moines where I live, has been taken into ICE custody. ICE are a wing of law enforcement and it […]
Posted inCommunity/News
‘Today it’s our family. Tomorrow it can be another’: Hundreds rally to demand release of man violently seized by ICE in Iowa City
Hundreds of people crowded around the stage on the Ped Mall late on Friday morning to rally in support of Jorge Elieser González Ochoa, the Iowa City resident violently seized by ICE agents as he was working at the nearby Bread Garden Market on Thursday morning, a little over 24 hours earlier. He requires medical attention, […]
Posted inCommunity/News
ICE violently seizes an immigrant worker at Bread Garden Market in Iowa City
Shortly before 11 on Thursday morning, two men who eventually identified themselves as “federal agents” violently seized a worker at Bread Garden Market on the Ped Mall in Iowa City. Neither man was wearing a uniform or displaying a badge or identification as they tackled Jorge Elieser González Ochoa, forcing him to the floor. After handcuffing […]
Posted inCommunity/News
Sioux City roofer held in jail by ICE sues over being denied a bond hearing
An Iowa man who claims he is being held in jail while facing deportation, without the opportunity to argue for release on bond, is suing county and federal officials for alleged violations of his due process rights. The lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Iowa, alleges the actions of federal […]
Posted inCommunity/News
ICE plans street blockade and checkpoint in Cedar Rapids Tuesday; immigrant advocates plan protest
There are plans to set up a temporary street blockade and checkpoint outside the ICE field office in Cedar Rapids on Tuesday, Escucha Mi Voz Iowa was told by Department of Homeland Security officials this week. The nonprofit, which assists and advocates on behalf of immigrants, and members of the Catholic Worker have for years […]
Posted inCommunity/News
Iowa National Guard soldiers deployed to assist ICE
Iowa National Guard soldiers will deploy to provide support for the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement in September, Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds announced Tuesday. The deployment, set to begin Sept. 8, will involve 20 National Guard soldiers providing “administrative and logistical support” to ICE officials based in Iowa who are enforcing immigration laws, according to […]
Posted inCommunity/News
‘I just keep thinking about it. Why us?’ Pascual Pedro Pedro thanks supporters in Iowa as protests of his deportation continue
The parking ramp across the street from the federal building in Cedar Rapids provided shade and some relief from the heat, so that’s where people started gathering before noon on Tuesday for the biggest demonstration yet in support of Pascual Pedro Pedro, a 20-year-old West Liberty resident who was suddenly and unexpectedly deported to Guatemala […]
Posted inCommunity/News
More Iowans sue Homeland Security over delays in naturalization process
A Bettendorf man and a couple from Perry are suing the federal government over what they claim are years of unexplained delays in the citizenship and naturalization process. Konstantin Konev, a citizen of Belurus and a legal permanent resident of the United States for more than five years, is suing the U.S. Department of Homeland […]
Posted inCentral Iowa
Department of Homeland Security moves to deport Iowa couple that’s suing the agency
Federal officials are moving to deport a central Iowa couple who is suing the government over a five-year delay in processing their naturalization application. The stated rationale for the attempted removal of Justin and Victoria Kokeh from the United States is that the couple lied in 2013 when they claimed to have no children. According […]
Posted inCommunity/News
AG Bird drops her lawsuit against Winneshiek County over sheriff’s Facebook post
On Friday, Attorney General Brenna Bird dropped her lawsuit over a February Facebook post by Winneshiek County Sheriff Dan Marx. Bird had been seeking to strip Winneshiek County of all state funds, unless Marx publicly disowned his Facebook post and declared his support for ICE enforcement actions, using language provided by the AG’s office. Bird […]
