The superintendent of the largest public school district in Iowa was arrested Friday by Immigration and Customs Enforcement, which alleged he was in the country illegally and without work authorization.

Ian Andre Roberts, a Guyana national and superintendent of Des Moines Public Schools, was arrested in an operation, ICE announced in a news release.

Roberts has helmed the district since July 2023, according to its website. It described him as a “career educator” with more than two decades of experience as a teacher, administrator and executive leader. He previously served as superintendent in two districts in Pennsylvania and Missouri.

Roberts worked as superintendent in Iowa despite not having legal status and despite having a “final order of removal and no work authorization,” the ICE news release said.

He had entered the U.S. in 1999 on a student visa and was given a final order of removal by an immigration judge in May 2024, ICE said.

Roberts had existing weapon possession charges from Feb. 5, 2020, according to the release.

Des Moines Public Schools Superintendent Ian Andre Roberts during the Standing Up for Public Education Rally at Goodrell Middle School on May 1, 2025, in Des Moines, Iowa. Lily Smith / The Des Moines Register / USA Today Network file

Agents approached Roberts on Friday in his vehicle after he identified himself, but he drove off, ICE said. The vehicle was later found near a wooded area, and Iowa State Patrol then assisted in the search for him Friday morning, the release said. He was ultimately taken into custody.

The Iowa Department of Public Safety said it assisted ICE with finding a person, identified as Roberts, who fled from a traffic stop.

At the time of his arrest, he was found in possession of a loaded handgun, $3,000 in cash and a fixed-blade hunting knife, ICE said.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives will handle the investigation into how Roberts acquired a handgun, ICE said, noting it’s against federal law for people in the United States without legal status to possess a firearm and ammunition.

“This suspect was arrested in possession of a loaded weapon in a vehicle provided by Des Moines Public Schools after fleeing federal law enforcement,” Sam Olson, director of the ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations’ St. Paul field office, said in a statement. “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.”

Des Moines School Board Chair Jackie Norris confirmed that Roberts was detained by ICE agents Friday morning. At a news conference, she asked for the community to practice “radical empathy.”

The Iowa Board of Educational Examiners issued Roberts a license to serve as superintendent in the state in July 2023, Norris said.

He was identified as a candidate for the job in a search by an outside consulting company and underwent a comprehensive third-party background check, the district said in a statement Friday evening. He had also completed the I-9 employment eligibility verification form and submitted required documentation to work, it said.

“Everything the district has on file indicates Dr. Robert affirmed that he was a citizen who was eligible to work for the school district,” the district said in a follow-up statement Saturday.

Roberts had a previous firearm charge related to a hunting rifle, which he disclosed to the district board during the hiring process, the district said.

“He provided sufficient context and explanation of the situation to move forward in the hiring process. He has also spoken publicly about this experience,” it said.

The district said it did not have any knowledge of the 2024 removal order and that ICE did not notify the district about Roberts’ detainment before or after the fact.

Norris said that while the district does not have all the facts, she affirmed Roberts has been “an integral part of our school community” since he joined. She also noted that he’s held educational leadership positions in districts across the country for 20 years.

“We stand firm with our community, many of whom are feeling sad, outraged and helpless. We understand as we too are devastated by the news of his detainment,” interim Superintendent Matt Smith said at the news conference.

The district said Saturday that Roberts has been placed on administrative leave.

An attorney for him did not immediately respond to a request for comment Saturday night. Alfredo Parrish told the Associated Press that his firm was representing Roberts but declined to comment on the case.

Roberts’ biography on the district’s website stated that he was chosen as superintendent following “an extensive nationwide search based on a leadership profile developed with input from the school board, teachers, families and others in the school community.”

It said he was born to immigrant parents from Guyana and spent most of his “formative years” in Brooklyn, New York.

“Dr. Roberts is married, and enjoys hunting, reading, and spending time with family and friends,” the biography said.

He earned his bachelor’s from Coppin State University, master’s degrees from St. John’s University and Georgetown University, and received his doctorate in urban educational leadership from Trident University. He also has several education certificates, including one from Harvard University, the biography said.

Separately, he was an Olympian, competing in track and field at the 2000 Games in Sydney, and in the World Championships in Maebashi, Japan, and Seville, Spain, according to the website.