U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) announced Friday that Ian Roberts, the Guyanese superintendent of Des Moines Public Schools, was arrested during a targeted enforcement operation and taken into federal custody on immigration and weapons-related charges.
According to an ICE statement, Roberts—a Guyana national—was found in possession of a loaded handgun, $3,000 in cash, and a fixed-blade hunting knife at the time of his arrest. ICE alleges that Roberts, who entered the United States in 1999 on a student visa, had a final order of removal issued by an immigration judge in May 2024 and no legal authorization to work in the country.
During the Sept. 26 operation, officers approached Roberts in his vehicle after identifying themselves, but he allegedly sped away. ICE said his vehicle was later discovered abandoned near a wooded area, where he was located with assistance from the Iowa State Patrol. The agency added that Roberts has existing weapons possession charges from February 5, 2020, and that the investigation into how he obtained the handgun has been referred to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).
“This suspect was arrested in possession of a loaded weapon in a vehicle provided by Des Moines Public Schools after fleeing federal law enforcement,” said ICE ERO St. Paul Field Office Director Sam Olson.
“This should be a wake-up call for our communities to the great work that our officers are doing every day to remove public safety threats. 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.”
Earlier Friday, Des Moines school board president Jackie Norris confirmed that Roberts had been detained but said the district had “no confirmed information as to why Dr. Roberts is being detained or the next potential steps.” At an afternoon press conference, Norris highlighted Roberts’ 20-year career in U.S. education and noted that he was licensed by the Iowa Board of Educational Examiners to serve as superintendent in July 2023. District officials declined to take questions, citing legal constraints.
Roberts, who was hired in 2023 to lead Iowa’s largest school district and is the first person of color to hold the role, remains in ICE custody at the Pottawattamie County Jail. The Des Moines school board announced that Associate Superintendent Matt Smith will serve as interim superintendent effective immediately.
The School Administrators of Iowa said it is in contact with Smith “to offer our support” and pledged to assist the district “as the situation unfolds.”
