ICE agents detain an Iowa school official with a deportation order from 2024

Ian Roberts, superintendent of Des Moines Public Schools in Des Moines, Iowa, was detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents. According to the Department of Homeland Security, the officer, who was illegally in the country, had existing charges for possession of firearms. According to federal law, it is illegal to possess a firearm and ammunition without having legal status in the United States.

According to ICE officials involved, Roberts, who was born in Guyana, was in the United States on an expired student visa. At the same time, they added that an immigration judge issued a final order of deportation in May 2024 and that he no longer had work authorization.

"HS said he was 'in possession of a loaded handgun, $3,000 in cash and a fixed blade hunting knife' at the time of his arrest. It's a violation of federal law to own a firearm and ammunition if an individual doesn't have legal status in the US," CNN reported about Roberts' arrest.

"This suspect was arrested in possession of a loaded weapon in a vehicle provided by Des Moines Public Schools after fleeing federal law enforcement. 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," Sam Olson, director of the St. Paul field office responsible for immigration enforcement, said.

The Des Moines Superintendent of Public Schools noted that they did not receive "confirmed information as to why Dr. Roberts is in custody or potential next steps." Roberts assumed his current position in mid-2023, months after the deportation order was issued against him.

Roberts is currently being held at the Pottawattamie County Jail, located in Council Bluffs, Iowa, about 209 miles west of Des Moines and near the Omaha Immigration Court.

Kim Reynolds, governor of the state and who will not seek re-election in 2026, was informed of the situation by the appropriate authorities.