ICE Arrest, Yet Maryland Kept Him on Voter Rolls

Hands holding handcuffs in a black and white image

An illegal immigrant in Maryland lied about being a U.S. citizen, registered to vote twice, pleaded guilty to citizenship fraud — and still stayed on the voter rolls for three more months while election officials dragged their feet.

Story Highlights

Ian Roberts, an illegal immigrant, falsely claimed U.S. citizenship on his Maryland voter registration and registered to vote twice.
Roberts was arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and pleaded guilty to citizenship fraud, yet remained on Maryland’s voter rolls for at least three months after his guilty plea.
Maryland election officials initially released only redacted voter records, hiding Roberts’ answer to the citizenship question — and only backed down after watchdog groups threatened legal action.
Congressional Republicans demanded answers from the Maryland Board of Elections, while the state’s elections chief declined to give clear responses about the case.

An Illegal Immigrant Registered to Vote — Twice

Ian Roberts is an illegal immigrant who registered to vote in Maryland not once, but twice. Unredacted records released by the state confirm he checked “yes” when asked if he was a U.S. citizen on his voter registration form — a claim that was false. ^[10] Falsely claiming citizenship on a voter registration form is a federal felony, punishable by prison time, heavy fines, and deportation. Roberts was arrested by ICE and later pleaded guilty to citizenship fraud, admitting in court that he is not a U.S. citizen. ^[3]

A congressional hearing transcript confirms Roberts successfully registered to vote in Maryland as an illegal immigrant on two separate occasions. ^[7] Despite this, Maryland election officials initially handed over only redacted copies of his voter records — with his answer to the citizenship question blacked out. Watchdog group RITE USA had to formally demand the full records and warn of a lawsuit before officials finally released them. ^[2]

Three Months on the Rolls After Admitting He Wasn’t a Citizen

Roberts pleaded guilty to citizenship fraud in February 2026. That guilty plea was a direct, court-verified admission that he is not a U.S. citizen. Yet as of late May 2026 — more than three months later — he was still listed on Maryland’s voter rolls. ^[3] The Washington Times confirmed he remained registered even as he faced prison time for the very fraud that put him on those rolls. The total time from when the case first surfaced to his eventual removal stretched to roughly nine months.

Maryland’s Board of Elections chief, Jared DeMarinis, said the state typically only removes noncitizens from voter rolls based on self-reports from the voter or referrals from jury commissioners. ^[16] That means Maryland was essentially waiting for Roberts to turn himself in — even after ICE arrested him and he admitted in court he wasn’t a citizen. The state said it found no voting history for Roberts, which is relevant context. But being on the rolls at all — after a guilty plea — is a serious problem that demands a clear answer.

Congress Steps In as Maryland Stonewalls

House Administration Committee Chairman Bryan Steil and Subcommittee on Elections Chair Laurel Lee sent a formal demand to the Maryland Board of Elections after Roberts was found on the state’s voter rolls. ^[9] They wanted answers about how he got registered and why it took so long to remove him. Maryland’s response was vague. DeMarinis declined to give direct answers, and no official timeline has been released showing exactly when election officials first learned Roberts was a noncitizen and when they acted on it. ^[5]

🗳️ The Other Maryland Man finally removed from Maryland Voter Registration list.

9 months after it was discovered that a superintendent of a large school district was not only a noncitizen with a final deportation order, but also had been illicitly registered to vote in… pic.twitter.com/xqKTCskJQR

— Maryland Freedom Caucus (@MDFreedomCaucus) June 19, 2026

That lack of transparency is the core problem here. Maryland’s own rules leave the voter rolls vulnerable. The state relies almost entirely on people telling the truth when they register — a system built on the honor code. Roberts proved that system can be beaten. Congress is right to keep digging. Voters deserve to know how many others may have slipped through the same gap, and why it took outside pressure — from watchdogs, reporters, and lawmakers — to get even basic records released. ^[9]^[5]