Des Moines Public Schools was left reeling Friday after federal immigration agents arrested Superintendent Ian Roberts, a respected leader who has been at the helm of Iowa’s largest school district since July 2023. The arrest happened after Roberts fled into the woods during a traffic stop, leaving educators, parents, and students stunned.
ICE says Roberts, 54, is from Guyana and in the country illegally, subject to a final removal order issued in 2024. Authorities called him a fugitive and noted he had no work authorization. Roberts was reportedly carrying a loaded handgun, a fixed-blade hunting knife, and $3,000 in cash at the time of his arrest.
Roberts’ detention has left the school district scrambling. District spokesperson Phil Roeder said the administration had seen nothing to suggest Roberts wasn’t a citizen and that the superintendent had completed an I-9 and passed background checks. “We’re gathering information on a situation that is legally complex,” Roeder told the press.
Teachers, students, and community leaders are rallying behind Roberts. School board president Jackie Norris described him as “an integral part of our school community” who had “shown up in ways big and small.” Unions representing teachers and staff called Roberts “a beacon of light in one of the state’s most diverse school districts.”
Roberts has a long career in education, previously serving as superintendent of Millcreek Township School District in Pennsylvania. Born to immigrant parents and raised in Brooklyn, New York, he competed for Guyana in the 2000 Olympics and earned his degree from Coppin State University in 1998. He began in Iowa with a $270,000 salary, overseeing more than 30,000 students and 5,000 employees.
The arrest comes amid heightened ICE activity in Iowa, with another aggressive detainment occurring just the day before in Iowa City. Protesters gathered outside the federal building in Des Moines Friday evening, expressing outrage over the manner of Roberts’ arrest.
This story isn’t just about immigration or legal technicalities — it’s about a community leader who inspired students and staff across one of Iowa’s most diverse districts, now suddenly removed under circumstances that leave many questioning the process and the human cost.
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