The superintendent of Iowa’s largest public school system has been identified as a criminal illegal alien under a final order of removal following a pursuit and apprehension, authorities say.
Ian Andre Roberts, who headed the Des Moines Independent Community School District until Friday, was found to be in possession of a loaded handgun and hunting knife when he was arrested during a pursuit in the Des Moines area.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) pulled over a school-issued vehicle driven by Roberts before he sped away, the agency explained in a press release.
Authorities located the abandoned vehicle in a wooded area and Roberts was eventually tracked down with the assistance of an Iowa State Patrol K-9 unit some 200 yards away.
“Roberts has existing weapon possession charges from February 5, 2020. Roberts entered the United States in 1999 on a student visa and was given a final order of removal by an immigration judge in May of 2024,” ICE stated.
“The investigation into how Roberts acquired the handgun is being turned over to the ATF. It is a violation of federal law for those in the U.S. without legal status to possess a firearm and ammunition.”
DES MOINES PUBLIC SCHOOL SUPERINTENDENT ARRESTED BY ICE
ICE Des Moines arrested Ian Andre Roberts, a criminal illegal alien from Guyana in possession of a loaded handgun, $3,000 in cash and a fixed blade hunting knife, after he tried to evade arrest.
➡️ Learn more in our… pic.twitter.com/Sfkjtiddji
— U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (@ICEgov) September 26, 2025
As a citizen of the South American nation of Guyana, Roberts competed in the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games as a mid-distance runner.
Roberts served in high-ranking positions in school systems across the U.S. before being hired as superintendent of Des Moines Public Schools in July 2023.
“This suspect was arrested in possession of a loaded weapon in a vehicle provided by Des Moines Public Schools after fleeing federal law enforcement,” said ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations St. Paul Field Office Director Sam Olson.
“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.”
An investigation is ongoing.
You can also find this article at InfoWars.com
