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De Moines superintendent detained by ICE with pending deportation order. When they stopped his vehicle, he fled on foot and was found with several thousand dollars in cash and a loaded firearm. He had existing firearm charges from 2020 which were missed by background checks.
https://www.newsweek.com/des-moines-schools-board-responds-after-superintendent-detained-by-ice-10793840
Des Moines Schools Board Responds After Superintendent Detained by ICE
The Des Moines Public Schools Board has unanimously voted to place Superintendent Ian Roberts on paid leave after immigration agents detained him, Chair Jackie Norris announced.
Why It Matters
Amid President Donald Trump’s mass deportation campaign and growing backlash against ICE, the detention of Des Moines Superintendent Ian Roberts has become a high-profile example of federal crackdowns impacting local institutions. Roberts, who oversees the education of about 30,000 students, is a prominent figure in Iowa’s capital. According to the district’s website, he was born to parents from Guyana and raised in Brooklyn, New York.
In a statement on Friday, September 27, Norris said Roberts represented himself as a U.S. citizen during the hiring process. She added that the independent firm contracted to conduct a background check did not identify any concerns with his immigration status.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) said agents stopped Roberts on Friday while he was driving and that he fled on foot into a nearby wooded area before being apprehended with assistance from the Iowa State Patrol. The agency said he was found in possession of a loaded handgun, a fixed-blade hunting knife, and about $3,000 in cash.
Norris said the district learned from ICE that “in May 2024, an immigration judge issued a final removal order for Dr. Roberts.” She added, “We were not made aware of that fact, and that’s very concerning. I want to be clear, no one here was aware of any citizenship or immigration issues."
https://www.newsweek.com/des-moines-schools-board-responds-after-superintendent-detained-by-ice-10793840
Des Moines Schools Board Responds After Superintendent Detained by ICE
The Des Moines Public Schools Board has unanimously voted to place Superintendent Ian Roberts on paid leave after immigration agents detained him, Chair Jackie Norris announced.
Why It Matters
Amid President Donald Trump’s mass deportation campaign and growing backlash against ICE, the detention of Des Moines Superintendent Ian Roberts has become a high-profile example of federal crackdowns impacting local institutions. Roberts, who oversees the education of about 30,000 students, is a prominent figure in Iowa’s capital. According to the district’s website, he was born to parents from Guyana and raised in Brooklyn, New York.
In a statement on Friday, September 27, Norris said Roberts represented himself as a U.S. citizen during the hiring process. She added that the independent firm contracted to conduct a background check did not identify any concerns with his immigration status.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) said agents stopped Roberts on Friday while he was driving and that he fled on foot into a nearby wooded area before being apprehended with assistance from the Iowa State Patrol. The agency said he was found in possession of a loaded handgun, a fixed-blade hunting knife, and about $3,000 in cash.
Norris said the district learned from ICE that “in May 2024, an immigration judge issued a final removal order for Dr. Roberts.” She added, “We were not made aware of that fact, and that’s very concerning. I want to be clear, no one here was aware of any citizenship or immigration issues."
