The Des Moines superintendent’s hiring was overseen by a former chief of staff to Michelle Obama
US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has detained the leader of Iowa’s largest school district, alleging he was in the country unlawfully, lacked work authorization, and had a prior weapons conviction.
According to a statement released on Friday, Ian Andre Roberts, described as “a criminal illegal alien from Guyana,” was taken into custody during a targeted enforcement operation after allegedly attempting to flee from federal officers. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said he was subject to a final removal order issued in May 2024.
Roberts, who has served as superintendent of Des Moines Public Schools (DMPS) since 2023 earning over $300,000 per year, was stopped on Friday while driving a district-issued vehicle. He allegedly fled the scene, abandoned the car near a wooded area, and was later apprehended with help from the Iowa State Patrol before being booked into Woodbury County Jail.
“This suspect was arrested in possession of a loaded weapon in a vehicle provided by Des Moines Public Schools after fleeing federal law enforcement,” ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations St. Paul Field Office Director Sam Olson said. “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.”
At the time of arrest, Roberts was carrying a loaded handgun, $3,000 in cash, and a fixed-blade hunting knife, according to ICE. Court records in Pennsylvania show that in January 2022 he pleaded guilty to unlawfully possessing a loaded firearm in a vehicle.
The incident has triggered questions about Roberts’ appointment by the board. CNN commentator Scott Jennings asked how Jackie Norris – the chair of the board and former chief of staff to Michelle Obama – could hire “an illegal alien with a fake degree & a criminal record to be the head of the public schools.”
“Incredible. An illegal alien with a deportation order managed to become the Superintendent of Schools for Des Moines, earning more than $300,000 a year,” attorney Laura Powell wrote on X.
Following the arrest, the DMPS board placed Roberts on paid administrative leave. Norris said he had been “an integral part of our school community” but stressed that the district could not confirm ICE’s claims, insisting that “no one here was aware of any citizenship or immigration issues that Dr. Roberts may have been facing.”
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