Dr. Ian Andre Roberts, who until recently served as Superintendent of Des Moines Public Schools, has had his licence revoked and is no longer head of the district following his arrest by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) on September 26, 2025.
Roberts, described by ICE as a “criminal illegal alien from Guyana,†was taken into custody during a targeted enforcement operation in Iowa, United States. At the time of his arrest, he was in possession of a loaded handgun, $3,000 in cash, and a fixed-blade hunting knife.
According to ICE Des Moines, Roberts attempted to flee when approached by officers, speeding away before abandoning his vehicle near a wooded area. He was later located with assistance from the State Patrol and taken into custody.
Roberts’ arrest has raised serious questions about how he came to lead Iowa’s largest public school district while lacking work authorisation and having a final order of removal issued by an immigration judge in May 2024. ICE noted that he had been living in the U.S. since 1999, when he entered on a student visa.
He also faces existing charges for weapons possession dating back to February 2020. Federal law prohibits individuals without legal status from possessing firearms and ammunition, and the investigation into how Roberts obtained the handgun is being 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 authorisation, a final order of removal, and a prior weapons charge is beyond comprehension and should alarm the parents of that school district.â€
Roberts had previously stated that he was born to immigrant parents from Guyana and spent much of his childhood in Brooklyn, New York.
