Des Moines Schools Superintendent Arrested by ICE on Visa, Firearms Charges

Ian Andre Roberts, the superintendent of Des Moines Public Schools, Iowa’s largest school district, was arrested by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) on Friday. Roberts, a citizen of Guyana, faces accusations of overstaying his student visa and is also confronting a firearms offence.

The arrest, which occurred on a fugitive warrant, has sent ripples through the school community. Officials from ICE stated that Roberts’ permit to work in the U.S. expired in 2020. The agency further detailed that he was found “in possession of a loaded handgun, $3,000 in cash and a fixed blade hunting knife” during his apprehension. He reportedly initially fled from police in a school district-provided vehicle before being located with assistance from Iowa State Patrol.

ICE also revealed that Roberts has an existing weapons charge dating back to February 2020 and that a federal judge had ordered his deportation in 2024. His original entry into the U.S. was on a student visa in 1999. The investigation into the handgun found during his arrest is being transferred to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, as undocumented immigrants are prohibited from possessing firearms in the U.S.

School district officials, including Board Chair Jackie Norris, expressed shock and a lack of full information regarding the circumstances of Roberts’ arrest. Norris stated, “We do not have all the facts. There is much we do not know,” while acknowledging Roberts’ integral role in the district since joining two years ago.

Before his tenure in Des Moines, Roberts was a prominent educator in four other states, holding degrees from institutions like Georgetown and Harvard. He also represented Guyana in track and field at the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games and other international championships. His biography notes he was born to Guyanese immigrant parents and enjoys hunting.

The incident unfolds amid a broader U.S. crackdown on immigration, a key policy focus for President Donald Trump. Local ICE Director Sam Olson emphasized that the arrest highlights the agency’s efforts to “remove public safety threats.” Roberts is currently being held at an immigration detention centre near Des Moines.

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