ICE detains Iowa public schools superintendent Ian Roberts

Roberts had been working as an educator for 20 years and was brought on as superintendent of Des Moines Public Schools in 2023.

Immigration authorities detained the superintendent of the Des Moines pubic school system yesterday and held him in the Pottawattamie County Jail. Ian Roberts, who has been an educator for 20 years, was arrested on a “final order of removal and had no work authorization,” according to a statement from DHS to The Guardian.

Interviews and biographies of Roberts say that he was raised in Brooklyn, New York, by immigrant parents from the South American country of Guyana. The database for Immigration and Customs Enforcement lists Guyana as Roberts’ place of birth. The educator had worked in schools all over the country, including Washington, D.C., Baltimore, St. Louis, and Erie, Pennsylvania. He came on as superintendent of Des Moines Public Schools, the largest school district in the state, in 2023.

The statement from ICE said that Roberts entered the U.S. on a student visa in 1999. The federal agency also said Roberts was “in possession of a loaded handgun, $3,000 in cash, and a fixed blade hunting knife.”

It was when he was living in Pennsylvania in 2020 that Roberts was arrested on a firearms charge related to a hunting rifle, which he disclosed to the Des Moines Public School District, according to a statement from DMPS.

“He provided sufficient context and explanation of the situation to move forward in the hiring process. He has also spoken publicly about this experience,” the district’s statement said. The Des Moines School Board will have a special session today to discuss Roberts’ arrest.

Roberts took to social media, addressing the gun charge on the Instagram page for the Millcreek Township School District, where he was superintendent at the time. He also questioned whether there was racial discrimination involved in the charge.

“I may not appear to be the ‘type of man’ who would enjoy deer season in Pennsylvania, in fact, I am and have been hunting for more than 20 years,” Roberts wrote in the Instagram post.

Roberts holds degrees from Coppin State University, where he received his bachelor’s degree, and St. John’s University, where he received his Master of Education and his Doctor of Education in Urban Educational Leadership. He is also an athlete who competed in the 2000 Olympics in Sydney, Australia, representing Guyana in track and field.

Des Moines residents quickly protested Roberts’ arrest in the city’s downtown area. According to local broadcaster KCCI Des Moines, a crowd of over 200 people gathered on Friday afternoon outside of the Neal Smith Federal building, many with signs denouncing ICE and in support of Roberts.

The DMPS confirmed in its statement that Roberts had completed the documentation required to teach in Iowa schools, including the I-9 employment eligibility verification. He was also licensed by the Iowa Board of Educational Examiners in July 2023, according to the district.