Former Des Moines superintendent who was detained by ICE federally charged

(DES MOINES, Iowa) — A now-former school superintendent who was detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents has been charged by federal prosecutors in Iowa with one count of being an “illegal alien in possession of firearms,” according to court records.

Former Des Moines Public School Superintendent Ian Roberts was charged by complaint on Wednesday, according to the case docket. The complaint remains under seal.

He is set for an initial appearance Thursday afternoon before a magistrate judge.  The docket indicates that the appearance will be by video.

The docket also indicates that he was arrested on Thursday. He had been in ICE detention at the Woodbury County Jail in Sioux City, though he has since been taken into custody by the Department of Justice on a federal warrant for his arrest, according to Woodbury County Sheriff Chad Sheehan.

Roberts, 54, was initially detained by ICE agents on Friday. He was in possession of a loaded handgun, a fixed-blade hunting knife and $3,000 in cash, according to ICE.

Roberts, a native of Guyana, had a final order of removal issued by a judge in 2024 and no work authorization in the U.S., according to ICE. He resigned as the superintendent of the Des Moines Public Schools on Tuesday.

Roberts joined the district in July 2023 and had previously held leadership positions in school districts across the U.S. for 20 years, according to Des Moines School Board Chair Jackie Norris.

The Des Moines School Board was not aware of Roberts’ immigration issues at the time of his hiring, according to Norris, who said following his detainment that the board is taking ICE’s allegations “very seriously.”

This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.

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