Maryland lawmakers concerned after learning Iowa superintendent is still an active voter

Maryland lawmakers are calling for answers after claiming an Iowa superintendent who was arrested by immigration officers is still listed as an active voter in Maryland. 

Dr. Ian Roberts, a former Baltimore principal, is accused of overstaying his visa, according to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials. 

According to the Maryland Freedom Caucus, Roberts is listed as an active voter under Maryland's online voter lookup tool. WJZ has not been able to independently confirm this, and the State Board of Elections said it will not confirm or deny that Roberts is a registered voter.

"The Voter Lookup Tool is not an investigative tool but a public application to assist voters to get basic information on their registration and elections," State Election Administrator Jared DeMarinis said in a statement. "It is designed to help voters vote. SBE does not and cannot confirm that the identity of a voter matches that of another voter record in another state, based merely on the public-facing information available." 

Voter registration concerns

The Maryland State Board of Elections (SBE) said Roberts never voted in Maryland. However, the Maryland Freedom Caucus said that doesn't excuse the fact that he's still a registered voter in the state. 

According to the SBE, a review of public information did not reveal any voting history.

Roberts was born in Guyana and came to the U.S. on a student visa. Federal immigration agents said he stayed long after it expired. 

ICE arrested Roberts in Des Moines, Iowa, where he served as superintendent of schools. He has since been placed on administrative leave, CBS News reported. 

"The Maryland Freedom Caucus looked him up in the system, and found that he had been an active voter for more than a decade, it looks like," said Del. Lauren Arikan. 

"What's going on with our voter rolls, and how has someone who has not been  — by their own LinkedIn profile admission — living in Maryland for more than a decade, could someone still be considered an active voter in the state of Maryland?" Akira questioned.

On Tuesday, DeMarinis said Roberts never voted in the state. 

In a statement, DeMarinis said that "unintentional" registrations can occur through agencies like the Motor Vehicle Administration (MVA). He also said Maryland errs on the side of protecting its voters before canceling any registrations. 

"If an individual who does not meet the requirements of voter registration was UNINTENTIONALLY registered to vote, that individual did not violate the law against unlawful voter registration," he said.

According to the Freedom Caucus, this only raises more concerns. 

"It exposed a flaw that we have felt like existed for a while in this system, and that is, not only can people who are here illegally very easily register to vote, but they also aren't being removed," Arikan said. 

The State Board of Elections has not responded to the Maryland Freedom Caucus letter.

Controversy over doctoral degree 

Roberts' arrest caused more controversy after Morgan State University confirmed that he never received a doctoral degree, despite his claiming so when he applied for the superintendent job in Iowa. 

Morgan State officials said they shared the findings with school district leaders in Iowa.

Roberts is still in federal custody awaiting immigration proceedings.