ICE Arrests Des Moines School Superintendent Living in U.S. Illegally

Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers arrested Des Moines Public Schools Superintendent Ian Andre Roberts after discovering he was living in the country illegally with a final deportation order and prior criminal charges, the agency announced Friday.

Roberts, originally from Guyana, had been under a deportation order since May 2024. ICE said he also faced weapons charges from 2020. When officers attempted to arrest him this week, Roberts allegedly sped away, abandoning his vehicle in nearby woods before being tracked down with help from the State Patrol.

Authorities reported finding a loaded handgun, $3,000 in cash, and a hunting knife in Roberts’ possession.

“This should be a wake-up call for our communities,” said ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations St. Paul Field Office Director Sam Olson. “How this illegal alien was hired without work authorization, a final order of removal, and a prior weapons charge is beyond comprehension and should alarm the parents of that school district.”

Federal law prohibits illegal immigrants from owning firearms, and investigators are now looking into how Roberts was able to acquire one.

According to ICE, Roberts first entered the United States in 1999 on a student visa. Despite his immigration status, he rose to lead Iowa’s largest school district, where he had emphasized progressive initiatives such as “culturally responsive” teaching and social-emotional learning curriculum.

Roberts’ arrest has sparked outrage from parents and community members, who are demanding answers about how someone with a deportation order and criminal record was allowed to oversee schools.