The superintendent of Iowa’s largest school district, who was detained last week by immigration agents, was charged Thursday in federal court with possessing firearms while in the U.S. illegally, prosecutors said.

Lawyers for the Des Moines public schools leader detained by immigration authorities have asked an immigration court to put deportation proceedings on hold. Attorney Alfredo Parrish said his law firm filed the request for stay with the federal immigration court in Omaha on behalf of Superintendent Ian Roberts.