Des Moines School Superintendent Detained by ICE Over Immigration Status, Placed on Leave

The leader of Iowa’s largest school district, Ian Roberts, has been placed on administrative leave following his detention by federal immigration agents. Officials cited Roberts’ alleged illegal presence in the country, lack of work authorization, and a final removal order issued in 2024 as reasons for his apprehension.

The Des Moines school board unanimously voted to place Superintendent Roberts on paid leave during a special meeting. The board stated Roberts was unavailable to perform his duties for the 30,000-student district and indicated his status would be reassessed upon gathering more information.

School board president Jackie Norris expressed the district’s shock, stating they had no prior knowledge of Roberts’ immigration issues. She confirmed that Roberts had retained legal representation. Norris also highlighted that Roberts had undergone a background check before his 2023 hiring, which did not flag any citizenship concerns, and that he had signed a form affirming U.S. citizenship.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) reported that Roberts was detained after he allegedly fled into a wooded area during a stop while driving a school-issued vehicle. Roberts, who previously stated he was born to Guyanese immigrant parents and competed for Guyana in the 2000 Olympics, reportedly entered the U.S. on a student visa in 1999.

The Iowa Department of Education is currently reviewing the Des Moines district’s hiring procedures to ensure compliance with work authorization requirements, as Roberts had also stated he was a U.S. citizen when applying for an administrator license.

阅读中文版 (Read Chinese Version)

Disclaimer: This content is aggregated from public sources online. Please verify information independently. If you believe your rights have been infringed, contact us for removal.