DES MOINES, Iowa — Dr. Ian Roberts, the superintendent of Des Moines Public Schools, has been taken into custody by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), as confirmed by Des Moines School Board President Jackie Norris.

Norris said Associate Superintendent Matt Smith will immediately step into the role of Interim Superintendent.

“Our focus remains on providing a safe, secure, and excellent education for all students while supporting our students, families, and staff. Appointing Mr. Smith as Interim Superintendent guarantees that our District maintains its high standards,” Norris emphasized in a statement initially shared with district staff before being released to the media.

Norris said the district does not have any information on why Dr. Roberts is being detained or the next steps.

According to online ICE records, Roberts is listed as detained at the Pottawattamie County Jail. However, the jail’s personnel told affiliate WHO, “We have never had anybody by that name and don’t have anyone by that name.”

A statement from the Iowa Department of Public Safety indicated that their officers assisted ICE in locating a person who reportedly escaped from a traffic stop conducted by ICE agents. The individual was ultimately caught and identified as Roberts.

In a press release, Homeland Security stated that officers encountered Roberts in his vehicle during a targeted operation on Friday. Roberts allegedly fled and left his vehicle in a wooded area but was later captured. Upon his arrest, Homeland Security discovered a loaded handgun, $3,000 in cash, and a fixed blade hunting knife with Roberts.

Homeland Security revealed that Roberts had overstayed his student visa, which was issued in 1999. They also reported that a final order of removal was given to Roberts by an immigration judge in May 2024, and he lacked work authorization.

“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 ERO St. Paul Field Office Director Sam Olson. “This should be a wake-up call for our communities to the great work that our officers are doing every day to remove public safety threats. 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.”

An investigation into how Roberts allegedly obtained the handgun has been turned over to the ATF, as authorities say it’s against federal law for those without legal status in the US to possess firearms and ammunition.

According to court records, back in February 2020, Roberts faced a weapons possession charge in Pennsylvania. Roberts pled guilty to the charge in 2022, court records state.

WHO has reached out to ICE and multiple other law enforcement agencies about whether this incident is linked to a federal law enforcement presence at Ewing Chase Mobile Home Park Friday morning.

We have received no response.

Education License

According to the Iowa Board of Educational Examiners online records, Roberts was issued a Professional Administrator license for the state of Iowa in July of 2023. It’s set to expire in December 2028.

The Iowa Department of Education said that licenses administered by the BOEE require that the person must be in the US legally, and that the employer is responsible for ensuring the applicant’s I-9 employment eligibility.

A spokesperson for the Iowa Department of Education said that on Roberts’ application for the license he listed himself as a US citizen. Criminal history record checks were conducted by the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the spokesperson said.

Dr. Ian Roberts’ background

Dr. Roberts became the 14th leader of Des Moines Public Schools in May of 2023. Roberts was the superintendent of the Millcreek Township School District in Pennsylvania for three years and before that, he worked in St. Louis, Baltimore, Washington D.C., and New York City.

Roberts received his undergraduate degree at Coppin State and his Ed.D. and master’s degree at St. John’s University.

He was born in Guyana and competed for that nation in the 2000 Olympic games, running the 800 meters.