Des Moines School Superintendent Ian Roberts Arrested and Placed on Leave Amid Immigration Allegations

Wed Oct 15 2025 00:22:39 GMT+0300 (Eastern European Summer Time)

Ian Roberts, the Superintendent of Iowa's largest school district, is on paid administrative leave following his arrest by federal immigration agents for allegedly being in the U.S. illegally. The school board is taking the matter seriously as they reassess his position amidst these developments.

Superintendent Ian Roberts of the Des Moines school district was arrested by ICE agents for being in the U.S. illegally and placed on paid administrative leave by the school board. The board is gathering more information to revisit his status. Roberts’ claim of U.S. citizenship is under scrutiny, despite previous checks indicating no issues. He had been a notable figure in education and athletics, participating in the 2000 Olympics for Guyana.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Ian Roberts, the Superintendent of Iowa’s largest school district, was placed on administrative leave by the Des Moines school board following his arrest by federal immigration agents, who allege he is residing in the U.S. illegally.

The board convened a special three-minute meeting where they unanimously decided to put Roberts on paid leave, stating that he was unavailable to fulfill his duties for the district which serves around 30,000 students. Board president Jackie Norris announced the board’s intention to reassess Roberts' employment status as more details emerge.

According to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Roberts was detained while driving a school-issued vehicle, subsequently fleeing into a wooded area before being apprehended. Agents reportedly stated he did not have work authorization and is subject to a final removal order from 2024.

Roberts is currently held at the Woodbury County Jail in Sioux City, approximately 150 miles from Des Moines. The allegations against him have raised significant concerns among the school board members, as Norris noted, I want to be clear, no one here was aware of any citizenship or immigration issues that Dr. Roberts may have been facing.”

Norris asserted the seriousness of the allegations and confirmed that Roberts has obtained legal representation from a Des Moines law firm, although a response has yet to be received from them.

The district had previously conducted background checks on Roberts during his hiring process, showing no red flags regarding citizenship. Additionally, when he applied for an administrator's license, he asserted that he was a U.S. citizen, which was later verified by the Iowa Department of Education.

Roberts, who reportedly entered the U.S. on a student visa in 1999, was also noted to have a distinguished athletic past, having represented Guyana in the 2000 Olympics in track and field. A retired officer from the Guyanese police spoke fondly of Roberts' past achievements in both sports and police service.