Undocumented Des Moines Public Schools superintendent arrested after police chase
Ian Andre Roberts, the district's former top administrator, was detained on a fugitive warrant after attempting to flee ICE; he holds an active deportation order and has prior weapons charges.
Ian Andre Roberts, 54, the former superintendent of Des Moines Public Schools, was arrested after attempting to flee federal agents during a pursuit. Authorities say Roberts is undocumented and has a final order of removal in place since May 2024, along with a prior weapons possession charge dating to 2020. He last entered the United States in 1999 on a student visa. Roberts was hired as the district's superintendent in July 2023 and led the district before his detention.
During the encounter with federal agents, Roberts abandoned his car after being pursued and was later found hiding in brush south of the vehicle. Inside the car, investigators said, authorities recovered a loaded gun, a fixed blade hunting knife, and about $3,000 in cash. The arrest took place after Roberts attempted to evade immigration enforcement, according to officials.
The incident drew a swift response from federal and local authorities, with ICE noting that the detainment underscores concerns about safety when a district employee with a weapons history evades law enforcement. Des Moines Public Schools issued a statement saying Roberts was a qualified candidate with educational experience and a commitment to innovation and inspiration, while noting that the district would cooperate with authorities. Roberts has said he was born to immigrant parents from Guyana and spent most of his formative years in Brooklyn, New York.
In the wake of the arrest, more than 200 Des Moines residents gathered downtown to protest the detention, with some chanting and holding signs. School officials said Associate Superintendent Matt Smith would serve as interim superintendent until further notice, and the district reiterated that it has no confirmed information about why Roberts was detained or what steps would follow. The protest reflects ongoing tensions around immigration, employment eligibility, and public school leadership in the area.
From a timeline perspective, records show Roberts last entered the United States in 1999 on a student visa and later faced weapons possession charges in February 2020 that remain pending. A deportation order was issued in May 2024, with a Dallas immigration judge denying a request to reopen the case in April 2025. The Des Moines School Board emphasized that Roberts' arrest is an active law enforcement matter and that the district will provide updates as they become available.