How Ian Andre Roberts Des Moines school district head was hired ‘is beyond comprehension,’ an ICE official said following arrest of Guyuna illegal alien with deportation order and prior weapons charge.
The superintendent of Des Moines Public Schools was arrested on Friday after federal agents discovered he was in the country illegally with a deportation order over a prior weapons charge.
At the time of his arrest, Dr. Ian Andre Roberts, originally from Guyana, was found in possession of a loaded handgun, $3,000 in cash and a hunting knife, authorities said.
Des Moines Public Schools superintendent found with $3K cash and loaded gun at time of arrest
The Des Moines Public Schools superintendent was taken into custody following a targeted enforcement operation, according to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials in Des Moines.
‘ICE Des Moines today arrested Ian Andre Roberts, a criminal illegal alien from Guyana in possession of a loaded handgun, $3,000 in cash and a fixed blade hunting knife,’ the agency said in a press release.
‘At the time of his arrest Roberts was working as the Superintendent of Des Moines Public Schools despite being an illegal alien with a final order of removal and no work authorization.’
Agents said Roberts sped off in his vehicle after being approached by officers. His car was later discovered abandoned near a wooded area.
Roberts was ‘found in a brushy area 200 yards away with the help of an Iowa State Police K9,’ and taken into ICE custody a senior ICE official told Fox News.
Not immediately clear is how the head school official came to arrive to his place of employment with a loaded weapon.
Roberts according to ICE officials has a prior criminal record in the US. He was charged with weapons possession on Feb. 5, 2020.
He entered the US in 1999 on a student visa and was given a final order of removal by an immigration judge in May 2024, officials stated.
HOLY SHlT
Ian Andre Roberts, who’s in charge of De Moines Public School District, has been arrested by ICE. He’s an illegal evading deportation. With a gun. pic.twitter.com/Mu5w9v6UuB
— End Wokeness (@EndWokeness) September 26, 2025
The rapid ascent of Dr Ian Andre Roberts Des Moines superintendent
The case of Roberts’ firearm has been referred to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It is a violation of federal law for anyone in the US without legal status to possess a firearm or ammunition.
‘This suspect was arrested in possession of a loaded weapon in a vehicle provided by Des Moines Public Schools after fleeing federal law enforcement,’ said ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations St. Paul Field Office Director Sam Olson.
‘How this illegal alien was hired without work authorization, a final order of removal, and a prior weapons charge is beyond comprehension and should alarm the parents of that school district,’ Olson added.
According to his bio on the Des Moines Public Schools site, ‘Dr. Ian Roberts was named the 15th Superintendent of the Des Moines Public School district, effective July 1, 2023. Roberts was chosen following an extensive nationwide search based on a leadership profile developed with input from the school board, teachers, families and others in the school community.’
According to the same bio, Roberts graduated with ‘a B.S. degree from Coppin State University, earned Masters degrees from St. John’s University and Georgetown University, and received his doctorate in Urban Educational Leadership from Trident University.’ While at St. John’s, Roberts specialized in the 800 meter. He went on to compete in the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, Australia, for Guyana.
Jackie Norris, the president of the Des Moines school board, posted a message on Facebook saying that an associate superintendent, Matt Smith, would head the school system on an interim basis.
Des Moines school officials had yet to explain how the superintendent was brought on to lead the public school system despite a prior criminal arrest and his case being under review by immigration officials following his 2020 arrest. Nevermind his residency was conditional on an active visa status.
FOX NEWS ALERT: ICE has arrested the Superintendent of Des Moines Public Schools, Dr. Ian Andre Roberts, identified as an illegal immigrant from Guyana with an active order of removal since May 2024.
Will Cain: “[Roberts has] a prior weapons charge and a final order of removal.… pic.twitter.com/Y38umCMXhz
— RedWave Press (@RedWave_Press) September 26, 2025
Des Moines officials stunned
Federal immigration authorities say Roberts had long been living and working in the U.S. without authorization.
According to ICE, Roberts overstayed his 1999 student visa and received a final order of removal from an immigration judge on May 22, 2024. A year later, ‘an Immigration Judge in Dallas, TX denied a Motion to Reopen his immigration case,’ a senior ICE official told Fox.
Nevertheless, Dr Roberts a favorite educator amongst the community he served was brought on to lead Des Moines public schools system.
‘When considering candidates, the Board was looking for educational experience, academic excellence and a passion for innovation and inspiration, and we found those qualities and more in Dr. Roberts,’ Des Moines Public Schools Board Chair Teree Caldwell-Johnson said when Roberts was hired in 2023. ‘Dr. Roberts’ focus on creating equitable experiences for students to thrive, paired with his commitment to continuous improvement, creates an exciting opportunity for our students, staff and community.’
According to the Des Moines Register, Roberts made $305,917 in salary and benefits in the 2024-25 school year.
On his LinkedIn page, Roberts describes himself as a former All-American and Olympic track and field athlete who transitioned into education.
He began his career as a teacher in New York and Maryland, twice earning Teacher of the Year honors in Baltimore City.
Roberts went on to serve as a principal and school turnaround leader in Washington, DC, Baltimore, and St. Louis, as well as a senior executive with several charter school networks.
Roberts wrote on LinkedIn that his mission is to help schools and districts move from ‘good enough to exceptional’ by focusing on cultural responsiveness, vision alignment and turnaround strategies.
Progressive groups and lawmakers in Iowa lamented Roberts’s arrest, with Democratic state Rep. Larry McBurney of Des Moines calling it ‘an outright disgrace‘ and accusing ICE of treating ‘our schools … as political battlegrounds for federal overreach.’
‘The idea of ICE raiding our schools and removing a highly respected leader from our community is a stain on Iowa and on America,’ McBurney wrote on Facebook. ‘It undermines trust, threatens stability, and sends a chilling message to educators and families across the state.’
McBurney later deleted the post.
