Iowa education authorities have stripped Ian Andre Roberts, superintendent of Des Moines Public Schools, of his professional license following his arrest by federal immigration agents on weapons and immigration charges.
Roberts, a 54-year-old Guyanese national who entered the United States on a student visa in 1999, was taken into custody on September 27 after fleeing a traffic stop initiated by ICE. Authorities reported recovering a loaded handgun, a hunting knife, and thousands of dollars in cash during the encounter. The arrest came more than a year after an immigration judge issued a final order of removal against him for overstaying his visa, according to The Des Moines Register.
The incident has jolted Iowa’s largest school district, home to more than 30,000 students and nearly 5,000 employees. Roberts, who had been superintendent since July 2023 with a base salary approaching $286,000, was placed on paid administrative leave by the school board, which pledged cooperation with investigators. The state’s revocation of his license effectively bars him from continuing in the role.
Roberts’ case is complicated by earlier legal troubles and a distinguished résumé. In 2020 he faced weapons charges in New York over possession of an unlicensed firearm. At the same time, he built a reputation as a veteran educator and a onetime Olympian, competing in track and field for Guyana in 1992. A graduate of Coppin State University with advanced degrees in education, he previously served as a principal in Baltimore before taking the helm in Des Moines.
The episode has fueled debate over immigration enforcement, public school hiring, and state vetting procedures. Iowa does not require E-Verify for public employees, a gap critics say made it possible for Roberts to secure the position despite his unresolved status. Online reaction has sharpened the controversy, with some noting that he remained registered to vote in Maryland while residing in Iowa.
To make matters worse, Roberts was found to be illegally registered to vote as an active Democrat voter in the state of Maryland.
🚨 I have confirmed from Maryland Freedom Caucus Chairman, @MattMorgan29A (R) that Des Moines Superintendent Ian Roberts has been a registered voter in Maryland since 2012.
Roberts is an illegal alien.@elonmusk also agrees, it’s time to clean the voter rolls. pic.twitter.com/4encSIQwfk
— Dustin Grage (@GrageDustin) September 29, 2025
Supporters have rallied on his behalf, framing his detention as unjust and urging compassion, while opponents have cast it as evidence of systemic failures in oversight. Governor Kim Reynolds and other state leaders have pressed for stricter enforcement and deeper background checks, arguing that political emphasis on diversity has sometimes eclipsed proper verification.
Roberts remains in ICE custody, facing deportation proceedings with only a slim chance of appeal. His attorney has pointed to his decades of service in education as grounds for leniency, but federal officials have characterized him as a repeat offender with a record of ignoring immigration law. The Des Moines district has installed an interim superintendent, stressing its commitment to stability for students as the community absorbs the fallout.
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“Diversity”. New definition: criminal illegal immigrant controlling your child’s education, while illegally voting in another state. Yeah, that’s diverse. Were the citizens of DesMoines ignorant, or complacent?
Vet your school board all nationwide
Check hiring & HR files
Make public
With as many blatantly obvious red flags that were ‘mysteriously’ missed one could ‘almost’ conclude that there was a conspiracy to hire him. Nah, that would be paranoid, or would it?