In a significant development, the superintendent of Des Moines Public Schools, Ian Andre Roberts, was arrested by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) on Friday. Roberts, a citizen of Guyana, is accused of overstaying his student visa and faces additional charges related to firearms possession. ICE officials revealed that Roberts’ work permit expired in 2020, and he was apprehended on a fugitive warrant. The arrest occurred amidst a broader U.S. crackdown on immigration under President Donald Trump’s administration, which aims to deport all illegal migrants. Roberts is currently detained at an immigration center near Des Moines. ICE reported that he was found with a loaded handgun, $3,000 in cash, and a hunting knife. Authorities stated that Roberts initially fled from police in a vehicle provided by the school district but was later located with assistance from the Iowa State Patrol. Records indicate that Roberts entered the U.S. on a student visa in 1999 and was ordered to be deported by a federal judge in 2024. He also has a prior weapons charge from February 2020. The investigation into the handgun has been transferred to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, as undocumented immigrants are prohibited from possessing firearms in the U.S. Roberts, who leads a district of approximately 30,000 students, has a distinguished background, including degrees from Georgetown and Harvard, and represented Guyana in track and field at the 2000 Sydney Olympics. School Board Chair Jackie Norris expressed uncertainty about the case’s details but emphasized Roberts’ integral role in the school community. ICE Director Sam Olson criticized the hiring process, questioning how Roberts was employed without proper authorization and with a prior weapons charge, calling it a wake-up call for the community.