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NEW: ICE Arrests Illegal Alien Who Was Running Largest School District In Red State

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2 months ago

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The largest school district in Iowa is reeling after federal immigration authorities revealed that its top leader was living and working in the United States illegally — and had been under a deportation order for more than a year.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) announced Friday that agents arrested Dr. Ian Andre Roberts, the superintendent of Des Moines Public Schools, after a dramatic pursuit involving state police and a K9 unit. Roberts, a native of Guyana who once competed as an Olympic runner, had been serving as head of the district since 2023 despite a final order of removal issued in May 2024.

According to a senior ICE official, Roberts fled from immigration officers after they identified themselves. He allegedly sped away in his vehicle before abandoning it on the roadside. With assistance from the Iowa State Patrol and a police dog, agents tracked him down in a wooded area roughly 200 yards from the car.

When agents searched the vehicle, they discovered a loaded handgun, a fixed-blade hunting knife, and $3,000 in cash, raising further questions about why a sitting superintendent was carrying weapons and large amounts of money while under an active deportation order. ICE also revealed Roberts had a prior weapons arrest from 2020, though the ultimate outcome of that case remains unclear.

“ICE Des Moines today 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,” ICE said. “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.”

Roberts first came to the United States in 1999 on a student visa to attend St. John’s University. Federal authorities say he later overstayed his visa and was ordered removed from the country in absentia on May 22, 2024, after failing to appear in court. On April 24, 2025, an immigration judge in Dallas denied his attempt to reopen the case, leaving the deportation order in place.

Despite that ruling, Roberts remained in Iowa, collecting a public salary as leader of the state’s largest district. Des Moines Public Schools educates more than 30,000 students, and the revelation that its superintendent was in the country illegally has sparked outrage among parents and taxpayers.

via ICE

Jackie Norris, president of the Des Moines school board, announced in a Facebook post that associate superintendent Matt Smith will take over the district on an interim basis.

“We have no confirmed information as to why Dr. Roberts is being detained or the next potential steps,” Norris wrote.

Roberts is currently being held in ICE custody as removal proceedings move forward.

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