Dr. Ian Roberts, the superintendent of Des Moines Public Schools, was arrested by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) on Friday following a fugitive warrant and allegations of weapons possession. Authorities reported that Roberts, who had entered the U.S. illegally from Guyana in 1999, was found after fleeing from law enforcement in Des Moines. During the arrest, ICE agents discovered a loaded Glock 19 firearm, a fixed-blade hunting knife, and $3,000 in cash inside the abandoned vehicle.
Roberts had been operating in the U.S. without proper work authorization since 2020, according to authorities. A judge ordered his deportation in 2024, and an immigration judge in Dallas denied a motion to reopen the case in 2025. The arrest has raised concerns about how such an individual was appointed to a leadership position in the school system. Des Moines School Board Chair Jackie Norris announced that Associate Superintendent Matt Smith will serve as interim superintendent.
Before a career in education, Roberts competed in the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games in track and field for Guyana as a middle-distance runner, the Des Moines Register reported. Roberts also served on the board of the Directors Council, a local group comprised of several nonprofits focused on Des Moines’ Black community. The group expressed solidarity with Roberts, stating that his contributions to the community are ‘immeasurable’ and that they stand with him during this uncertain moment.