Des Moines, IA – Immigration and Customs Enforcement revealed new details about Ian Andre Roberts, the superintendent of Des Moines Public Schools, who was arrested Sept. 26 after fleeing officers and abandoning his vehicle during a confrontation. ICE officials said Roberts, who is in the country illegally, was caught hiding in a wooded area about 200 meters away after fleeing the scene. A loaded Glock pistol, a fixed-blade hunting knife and $3,000 in cash were recovered from his abandoned vehicle. On Oct. 2, federal prosecutors charged him with being an illegal alien in possession of firearms.
Roberts’ arrest drew attention not only because of his leadership position in Iowa’s largest school district, but also because of a lengthy criminal record spanning nearly three decades and multiple states. According to ICE, his history includes drug charges, weapons offenses and immigration violations, along with a removal order that was issued in absentia in 2024.
His documented criminal record includes narcotics charges in New York in 1996, reckless driving in Maryland in 2012, and multiple firearm offenses beginning in 2020. In 2022, he was convicted in Pennsylvania for unlawful possession of a loaded firearm. His most recent arrest occurred while serving as superintendent in Des Moines, where ICE agents say he attempted to evade capture before being tracked down with help from Iowa State Patrol.
Roberts’ immigration file shows repeated attempts to gain permanent residency through multiple green card applications, all of which were denied. Records show he entered the United States multiple times beginning in 1994 on visitor and student visas, and later sought employment authorization documents that allowed him to remain in the country temporarily. In May 2024, an immigration judge in Dallas ordered him removed, and in April this year, his motion to reopen the case was denied.
Despite his immigration history, Roberts secured the top leadership role overseeing Des Moines schools until his arrest last week. ICE officials emphasized that Roberts should never have been in a position of authority within the school system given his immigration and criminal background.
The case is now moving forward in federal court, with Roberts facing firearms charges as his immigration removal order remains active.
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From superintendent to fugitive, Roberts’ fall stunned Iowa’s capital.