Des Moines School Superintendent Arrested for Visa Overstay and Firearms Offense

Ian Andre Roberts, the superintendent of Des Moines Public Schools, was arrested on Friday by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents. Authorities allege that Roberts, a citizen of Guyana, overstayed his student visa, which expired in 2020, and was found in possession of a loaded handgun.

ICE officials reported that Roberts initially fled from police in a vehicle provided by the school district. The vehicle was later found abandoned, and Roberts was located with assistance from the Iowa State Patrol. He is currently detained at an immigration facility near Des Moines.

School Board Chair Jackie Norris stated that the board is seeking more information about the arrest. "We do not have all the facts. There is much we do not know," she said. "However, what we do know is Dr. Roberts has been an integral part of our school community since he joined two years ago."

Local ICE Director Sam Olson commented on the arrest, saying, "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."

Roberts, who entered the U.S. on a student visa in 1999, has an existing weapons charge from February 2020. A federal judge ordered his deportation in 2024. Before leading the Des Moines district, which serves approximately 30,000 students, Roberts worked as an educator in four other states and earned degrees from institutions including Georgetown and Harvard. He also represented Guyana in track and field at the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games.