Superintendent of Des Moines Public Schools, Dr. Ian Roberts, has been detained by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) after a failed attempt to elude officers.
According to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Roberts was given a court-issued final order of removal in May 2024. Roberts, who is Guyanese, attended St. John’s University and attained a master’s degree in 2000 while on a student visa.
An ICE press release details Roberts’ arrest and describes his background, which includes certain criminal charges.
“Today, ICE Des Moines arrested Ian Andre Roberts, a criminal illegal alien from Guyana in possession of a loaded handgun, $3,000 in cash and a fixed blade hunting knife. At the time of his arrest, Roberts was working as the Superintendent of Des Moines Public Schools despite being an illegal alien with a final order of removal and no work authorization.”
“During a targeted enforcement operation on Sept. 26, 2025, officers approached Roberts in his vehicle after identifying himself, but he sped away. Officers later discovered his vehicle abandoned near a wooded area. State Patrol assisted in locating the subject and he was taken into ICE custody,” ICE stated.
Roberts’ prior charges consist of “existing weapon possession charges from February 5, 2020.”
The school board voted unanimously to put the superintendent on leave on September 27.
A district press release stated that Roberts passed the required employee background check for the district and had presented no red flags regarding his immigration and criminal record upon his hiring and subsequent employment.
“Employers, including DMPS, are required to verify employment eligibility for all employees. In this case, Dr. Roberts completed the I-9 employment eligibility verification form and submitted the required documentation,” the district stated.
The release further states that the district had no knowledge of Roberts’ order of removal from last spring.
