Iowa School Superintendent Arrested by ICE Amid Immigration and Weapons Charges
Des Moines Public Schools’ leader detained after a pursuit; investigators said a loaded handgun, a knife and cash were found in a vehicle used during the incident.
DES MOINES, Iowa — Ian Roberts, the superintendent of Des Moines Public Schools, was arrested Friday by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement on a fugitive-warrant after authorities said he sped away from pursuing agents. ICE said Roberts has been living in the United States illegally and faces a prior weapons charge. A Des Moines-area K-9 search located him about 200 yards south of the abandoned vehicle after investigators tracked the flight path. Inside the vehicle, authorities recovered $3,000 in cash, a fixed-blade hunting knife and a loaded Glock 19 handgun. ICE said the arrest followed a pursuit in which the suspect fled federal law enforcement and was later located. ICE Enforcement Removal Operations St. Paul Field Office Director Sam Olson said the case underscores the work of officers in removing public safety threats.
Roberts entered the United States in 1999 on an F-1 student visa to attend St. John’s University in Queens, and authorities said his employment authorization expired in 2020, meaning he was not legally allowed to work since then. Port Authority Police Department records list a weapons-possession charge from February 2020 that remains pending. In May 2024, a judge ordered Roberts deported in absentia; in April 2025, an immigration judge denied a motion to reopen the case. Roberts was hired to lead Des Moines Public Schools on July 1, 2023, after a nationwide search that district officials said selected the candidate through a comprehensive process.
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According to a DMPS release, Roberts’s hire was framed by his immigrant background and his experience in education across New York, Pennsylvania, Maryland and Missouri. He previously competed as a middle-distance runner for Guyana at the 2000 Sydney Olympics and served on the Directors Council, a Des Moines nonprofit focused on the city’s Black community. Roberts’s background and leadership roles were cited by district officials as part of the rationale for his appointment.
Board Chair Jackie Norris said Associate Superintendent Matt Smith would serve as interim superintendent while the district determines the next steps. The district said it would share updates as confirmed information becomes available and would work to maintain stability for students and staff. Community stakeholders and district officials stressed the importance of ensuring student safety and continuity of instruction during the transition.
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This incident adds to broader conversations about staffing, compliance and immigration policy within public institutions, as schools weigh how to verify work authorization while maintaining stability for students and families.