Federal immigration agents have apprehended the chief administrator of the public schools in Iowa’s capital, Des Moines, following a “targeted enforcement operation,” as announced by authorities on Friday.
Ian Roberts, the Superintendent of Des Moines Public Schools, was taken into custody by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents Friday morning. He was reportedly in possession of a loaded handgun, cash, and a hunting knife, according to a statement from ICE. Authorities noted that he attempted to flee from arrest.
ICE officials stated that Roberts was residing in the U.S. on an expired student visa and had received a final order of removal from an immigration judge in May 2024. The agency mentioned he had “existing weapons charges” dating back to 2020, but did not disclose further information.
“This individual was detained while in possession of a loaded firearm in a vehicle provided by Des Moines Public Schools, following his evasion from federal law enforcement,” said Sam Olson, director of the St. Paul enforcement and removal field office. “This incident serves as a reminder of the critical efforts undertaken by our officers to eliminate threats to public safety.”
The Iowa Department of Public Safety confirmed on Friday that it had been asked to assist federal agents “in finding an individual who fled from a traffic stop initiated by their agents,” according to a statement from spokesperson Tawny Kruse.
Republican Gov. Kim Reynolds was made aware of the situation this morning, spokesperson Mason Mauro said in a statement.
Court documents from Pennsylvania indicate that Roberts pleaded guilty in January 2022 to a minor charge of unlawfully possessing a loaded firearm in a vehicle and was fined $100 plus court costs. This case originated from a citation in Erie County issued the month before by a Pennsylvania Game Commission officer who stopped Roberts at the conclusion of a hunting trip on state lands.
Roberts said at the time he was a longtime licensed hunter and gun owner, and that he left his hunting rifle on the seat of his vehicle in plain view to ensure the officer did not feel threatened during their interaction. He said that he was shocked when the officer cited him for doing so, but that he pleaded guilty to avoid any distraction. He questioned whether his dark skin may have played a role in the case.
“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 on a social media post then.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement records show Roberts in their custody at a county jail in western Iowa. But a Pottawattamie County jail employee said he is not currently at their jail. The jail in Council Bluffs is about 130 miles west of Des Moines.
Roberts, 52, began his term as superintendent of Des Moines schools, which serve 30,000 students, in July 2023. A biography for Roberts listed on the district’s website says he was born to immigrant parents from Guyana and spent much of his childhood in Brooklyn, New York.
Coppin State University’s website features an alumni profile of Roberts, who graduated from the school in Baltimore in 1998. In it, Roberts said his father immigrated to the United States in the 1980s, and his mother immigrated in the early 2000s.
In a joint statement, the presidents of unions representing teachers and other school employees in Des Moines and across the state said they were shocked by Roberts’ detention. They said he had been a “tremendous advocate for students, families, staff, and the community.”
“His leadership and compassion for all students, regardless of background, identity, or family origin, are a beacon of light in one of the state’s most diverse school districts,” said the statement by Iowa State Education Association President Joshua Brown and Des Moines Education Association President Anne Cross. “It is a dark and unsettling time in our country. This incident has created tremendous fear for DMPS students, families, and staff.”
It was the second time in two days that an aggressive action by ICE shocked local officials in Iowa. On Thursday, agents in plain clothes who refused to identify their affiliation violently arrested a man who was working at a grocery store in downtown Iowa City, pinning him to the floor and handcuffing him as shocked shoppers looked on.
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Associated Press writer Ryan J. Foley in Iowa City, Iowa, contributed to this report.
