DES MOINES, Iowa (KCRG) - The Des Moines Public School District is quickly putting an interim superintendent in place, after they say ICE agents detained the current Superintendent.

The press release states that Immigration and Custom Enforcement agents detained Dr. Ian Roberts Friday morning for being in the country illegally and in the possession of a loaded handgun. Federal law does prohibit those in the country illegally from possessing weapons.

The DHS says after officers identified themselves to Roberts, he fled the scene in his vehicle. The vehicle was later found abandoned near a wooded area. State Patrol helped locate Roberts and he was taken into ICE custody.

“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 ERO 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.”

A Des Moines Public Schools public safety officer was also there along with federal immigration officials and the Iowa State Patrol.

At the time, he had a loaded handgun, three thousand dollars in cash, and a hunting knife.

Roberts has a history of weapon possession charges dating back to 2020.

According to DHS, despite a final order of removal issued last year, he was employed as Superintendent without legal work authorization.

The Des Moines school board says they pursued their “Board-approved DMPS leadership succession plan.” Associate Superintendent Matt Smith has stepped in as Interim Superintendent.

“Matt Smith, Associate Superintendent, will immediately step into the role of Interim Superintendent until further notice... Our priority is to provide a safe, secure and outstanding education for all students and to support our students, families, and employees. The appointment of Mr. Smith as Interim Superintendent ensures that our District continues to operate at the highest level.”

Roberts, originally from Guyana, South America, represented his country as a middle-distance runner in the 2000 Sydney Olympics. He later moved to the U.S. and built a career in education leadership.

Iowa State Education Association President Joshua Brown and Des Moines Education Association Anne Cross released a statement regarding Robert’s detainment on Friday.

“We were shocked to hear of Dr. Ian Roberts’s detainment by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents early this morning. Since being hired as superintendent of Des Moines Public Schools, we have known Dr. Roberts to be a tremendous advocate for students, families, staff, and the community. His leadership and compassion for all students, regardless of background, identity, or family origin, are a beacon of light in one of the state’s most diverse school districts.

It is a dark and unsettling time in our country. This incident has created tremendous fear for DMPS students, families, and staff. We call on the community to come together and support each other."

Iowa GOP Chairman Jeff Kaufmann said in a statement that it’s “deeply disturbing” that Roberts was hired as Superintendent for the largest school district.

“It is deeply disturbing that an illegal alien with weapons charges and a deportation order was ever hired to run Iowa’s largest school district. He even ran from law enforcement when they came to apprehend him.

Thankfully, officers showed diligence in pursuing and arresting him, and we support their efforts. Iowans elected President Trump to enforce our immigration laws, and he’s doing exactly that.”

In a statement, Progress Iowa Executive Director and DMPS parent Mazie Stilwell said “these attacks on our freedoms” should be stopped.

“No Iowan is safe. It is time for them to finally stand up for us and stop these attacks on our freedoms and our communities,” said Stilwell. “Every Iowan should call their legislators and ask why Iowans are being detained, and what they are doing to protect us.”

We’ll continue to provide updates as they become available.

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