The Des Moines, Iowa, school superintendent, who happened to be an illegal alien from Africa, is now facing deportation proceedings and is also causing issues for Democrat Jackie Norris.

Norris, a former Obama staffer, also has political ambitions that could be tainted by the removal of Ian Andre Roberts, given that she was the one overseeing the school board in the district Roberts cheated his way into running.

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced this week that after a dramatic arrest, Roberts was found with "a loaded handgun, $3,000 in cash and a fixed-blade hunting knife."

Given that Iowa is becoming increasingly conservative on a political level, it stands to reason that her defense of Roberts could ultimately hurt her Senate ambitions.

What's going on?

Norris, in an attempt to capitalize on a situation that she presumably knows isn't a good look, played the victim card for Roberts, demanding Iowa voters have "radical empathy" for him.

JustTheNews noted:

Although it is a violation of federal law for those in the U.S. without legal status to possess a firearm and ammunition, Norris, who is also the former chief of staff for First Lady Michelle Obama, urged people to have “radical empathy” for the superintendent.

Despite his illegal immigration status, Roberts has somehow held multiple school-related positions across the Midwest. He's originally from Guyana, and has managed to escape being found out until earlier this month.

Norris deployed the sympathy card for Roberts, which doesn't really matter as he'll soon be sent packing back to Guyana.

"There is much we do not know," Norris said. "However, what we do know is that Dr. Roberts has been an integral part of our school community since he joined over two years ago."

The chairwoman of the Iowa school district whose superintendent was an illegal alien asks the community to engage in "radical empathy" after ICE detained him pic.twitter.com/Vtjr8Jq3Ug

— Breitbart News (@BreitbartNews) September 29, 2025

Social media reacts

Users across social media had plenty to say about Norris and her defense of Roberts.

"Omg this is the perfect example of a liberal Karen. She’s an absolute idiot. How about take accountability for hiring an illegal with a gun charge and not doing a background check," one X user wrote.

Another X user wrote, "I was born, raised and live in Iowa. This is very embarrassing that it happened in Iowa. There needs to be a house cleaning in Des Moines institution. Start with education."

It'll be interesting to see if the situation has a measurable effect on her Senate ambitions.