DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Iowa's largest school district has placed Superintendent Ian Roberts on administrative leave after a federal immigration agency arrested him for allegedly being in the country illegally.
The Des Moines school board reached this decision during a brief special meeting on Saturday, indicating that Roberts, who leads the district with over 30,000 students, is currently unable to fulfill his duties. The board has stated it will re-evaluate his status as new details emerge.
School board president Jackie Norris expressed the board's sentiments, identifying Friday's news of Roberts' arrest as a jarring day but noted that they are still awaiting further details surrounding the situation.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) confirmed that Roberts was detained due to his alleged lack of immigration status and work authorization, following a removal order issued in 2024. The incidents took place while Roberts was driving a school-issued vehicle, according to ICE, which stated that he fled into a nearby wooded area before being captured with Iowa State Patrol's assistance.
Following the arrest, Roberts was held at the Woodbury County Jail in Sioux City, located approximately 150 miles from Des Moines.
I want to be clear, no one here was aware of any citizenship or immigration issues that Dr. Roberts may have been facing, Norris emphasized. The accusations ICE has made against Dr. Roberts are very serious, and we are taking them very seriously.
Roberts has reportedly engaged a local law firm for legal representation as the situation unfolds. Questions regarding the screening process utilized during his hiring have also arisen, as Norris reaffirmed that their background check had not flagged any citizenship issues.
The Iowa Department of Education has since confirmed that Roberts asserted U.S. citizenship when applying for his administrative license. The Iowa Board of Educational Examiners conducted thorough checks at both state and federal levels before granting his license, and now the department is reviewing the hiring protocols of the Des Moines district.
Roberts, who was born to immigrant parents from Guyana and represented the country as an Olympic athlete in 2000, entered the U.S. on a student visa back in 1999."
