Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents arrested Des Moines Public Schools Superintendent Ian Roberts Friday morning, revealing that Iowa's largest school district was led by someone in the country illegally with outstanding weapon charges.
Roberts, a Guyana national who entered the United States in 1999 on a student visa, had received a final order of removal from an immigration judge in May 2024. Despite lacking work authorization and facing deportation proceedings, he continued serving as superintendent overseeing more than 30,000 students.
"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 parents," said ICE Field Office Director Sam Olson.
The arrest occurred during a targeted enforcement operation when Roberts fled from agents after being approached in his school district vehicle. He was later found in possession of a loaded handgun, $3,000 in cash, and a hunting knife. Roberts had existing weapons possession charges from February 2020.
The Des Moines School Board initially placed Roberts on paid administrative leave but switched him to unpaid leave Monday after the Iowa Board of Educational Examiners revoked his license to work as an educator in Iowa. The district claims it conducted comprehensive background checks when hiring Roberts in 2023.
Roberts became Des Moines' first Black superintendent in 2023 after a national search. He previously competed in the 2000 Sydney Olympics as a middle-distance runner for Guyana and worked in education across multiple states for over 20 years.
The case raises serious questions about hiring verification processes in public education and highlights the Trump administration's commitment to immigration enforcement. Parents and taxpayers deserve answers about how someone lacking legal work authorization rose to lead Iowa's largest school district while facing outstanding federal charges and deportation orders.