Des Moines Superintendent Arrested by ICE

On Sept. 26, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents arrested Des Moines Public Schools Superintendent Ian Roberts, saying he was in the country illegally, lacked work authorization and was subject to a final removal order issued in May 2024 after he fled agents in a district vehicle and was found hiding in woods. Authorities reported finding a loaded handgun, a fixed‑blade hunting knife and about $3,000 on Roberts, and Pennsylvania court records show a 2022 citation for unlawfully possessing a firearm in a vehicle. The DMPS board unanimously placed Roberts on paid administrative leave, saying existing I-9 paperwork and background checks had not indicated immigration issues, and school officials said they will reassess his employment after receiving more information. Republican state and federal lawmakers have opened probes and requested hiring records, while hundreds of residents held vigils and protests in his support. Roberts, who came to the U.S. on a student visa in 1999 and is a former Olympic athlete from Guyana, has retained attorney Alfredo Parrish, who said Roberts was reviewing records and in good spirits.