ICE Arrests School Superintendent Who Is An Illegal Immigrant With A Deportation Order

Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers arrested the Des Moines Public Schools superintendent after it turned out that he was an illegal immigrant with a rap sheet, the agency announced Friday.

Ian Andre Roberts, of Guyana, had a deportation order from May 2024 and weapons charges from February 5, 2020, when ICE finally nabbed him, according to ICE.

NEW: ICE just arrested the superintendent of Des Moines public schools, who turns out is a criminal illegal immigrant from Guyana with a deportation order.

Ian Andre Roberts was found with a loaded handgun, $3,000 in cash and a fixed blade hunting knife after trying to run from… pic.twitter.com/typVZ7x4jU

— Jennie Taer 🎗️ (@JennieSTaer) September 26, 2025

Initially, Roberts tried to flee and sped away as officers identified themselves, ICE said. Authorities later found his car abandoned in the woods nearby and were able to track him down with the help of the State Patrol.

The officers found that Roberts had a loaded handgun, $3,000 in cash, and a fixed-blade hunting knife.

ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations St. Paul Field Office Director Sam Olson called out the system that allowed Roberts to gain employment in the U.S. in a statement on Friday.

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“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,” Olson said.

Investigators are also probing how Roberts was able to acquire a handgun since illegal immigrants are prohibited from obtaining firearms.

Roberts first entered the U.S. in 1999 on a student visa, according to ICE.

In a previous interview reflecting on his first year as superintendent, Roberts stated that it was important to be “culturally responsive” in the classroom, promoted left-wing “SEL curriculum” in the classroom, and emphasized the need for safe spaces.