According to the Des Moines Register:
Des Moines Public Schools Superintendent Ian Roberts was arrested by U.S. Immigration Customs Enforcement for allegedly being in the United States illegally, according to federal officials.
Tricia McLaughlin, a spokeswoman for the Department of Homeland Security, confirmed Roberts’ Friday, Sept. 26, arrest and detention and said a court had issued a “final order of removal” in May 2024 for the deportation of the Guyana native and longtime U.S. resident.
She said Roberts abandoned his car and fled from police on Friday, and was allegedly in possession of a loaded handgun, a large amount of cash and a hunting knife. He was arrested in what DHS described as a “targeted enforcement operation.”
The ICE Press Release worded it differently:
Today, ICE Des Moines arrested Ian Andre Roberts, a criminal illegal alien from Guyana in possession of a loaded handgun, $3,000 in cash and a fixed blade hunting knife. At the time of his arrest, Roberts was working as the Superintendent of Des Moines Public Schools despite being an illegal alien with a final order of removal and no work authorization.
During a targeted enforcement operation on Sept. 26, 2025, officers approached Roberts in his vehicle after identifying himself, but he sped away. Officers later discovered his vehicle abandoned near a wooded area. State Patrol assisted in locating the subject and he was taken into ICE custody.
Roberts has existing weapon possession charges from February 5, 2020. Roberts entered the United States in 1999 on a student visa and was given a final order of removal by an immigration judge in May of 2024.
According to IPR:
Roberts was named superintendent of DMPS in 2023. He is the first Black superintendent to lead the district, which is the largest in the state. A district profile states he was born to immigrant parents from Guyana and grew up in Brooklyn, New York.
While the ICE press release says that Roberts is a “criminal illegal alien,” friends with kids in the Des Moines Public School System tell me he is a beloved leader with a distinguished resume who is doing a great job in the community.
There was a press conference at the Des Moines Public Schools’ administration building on Friday afternoon. I fought through the eternal hellscape construction on Fleur Drive and was there in time to film it. The board and staff were understandably shocked by the situation.
Lots of press were there from all over. The room oozed sadness.
The press conference didn’t tell us anything new about the arrest given legal considerations, and was led by Phil Roeder, Director of Communications & Public Affairs for the district. Jackie Norris, president of the School Board, read a brief statement where she quoted from Roberts’ book, as did Matt Smith, who is replacing Roberts on an interim basis.
Kay Henderson at Radio Iowa summarized it nicely.
Norris praised the superintendent’s work in the district and did not directly address the information released by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. “We do not have all the facts,” Norris said. “There is much we do not know, however what we do know is that Dr. Roberts has been an integral part of our school community since he joined over two years ago.”
Norris began her brief remarks by quoting Roberts. “It seems fitting to take a page out of Dr. Roberts’ book and ask the community to engage in radical empathy as we work through this situation together,” Norris said. “Radical empathy is the recognition that we can disagree and still empathize with each another. The respect of other’s humanity — this concept will be essential as we wait to learn more.”
Matt Smith, who became interim superintendent today, said Roberts’ arrest will not stop the district’s important work with and for students. “We stand firm with our community, many of whom are feeling sad, outraged and helpless,” Smith said. “We understand as we, too, are devastated the news of his detainment.”
Smith quoted Roberts at the end of his prepared remarks. “In the words of Dr. Roberts, if you paddle together you will survive the tide. If you paddle alone, you will likely drown.’ As we move forward and learn more, we choose to paddle together,” Smith said.
Meanwhile, in the MAGA-verse, I learned that they are outraged that Roberts was hired, alleging that he was a DEI hire, and condemming his alleged criminal conduct. At least one MAGA legislator is demanding an investigation, and there are calls for firings to happen. There’s also a lot of hate for our public schools.
A friend texted to tell me that there was a protest getting started at the Federal Building, so I drove over there.
When I arrived, over 100 people had assembled, and the crowd quickly grew to several hundred.
I was across the street from the main protest, perched on a ledge, taking photos like the one above. One older woman told me to be careful and not fall. A younger woman told her something like, “hey, see that guy over their talking? He’s running for city council or something.”
Given that my boomer generation has apparently led us all to ruin, I am always interested in talking with younger people who are offering solutions. As you can see from his shirt, he is Endi Montalvo-Martinez and he is putting people first as he runs for the Des Moines City Council.
To my surprise, my friend Chris Espersen took the above photo of our brief interview. Below is the audio and a lightly edited transcript. If you listen to the audio you will get a feel of the crowd.
ME: Why are you here today?
ENDI: I’m here today because as a proud son of Mexican immigrants, I know how much our immigrant community contributes to our city. And I think that Dr. Ian Roberts has invested so much positive influence into our community and it’s completely wrong that they took him today.
ME: And you’re running for city council?
ENDI: I’m running for city council.
ME: Why?
ENDI: I’m running for city council for two reasons. One, I love my city and I believe that positive change can be feasible in our city. But also because I believe people who are well connected in their community and who have small-dollar donations should be the ones making policy changes in the city.
ME: And so what are some of the first things that you would do if you were elected?
ENDI: My platform is focused on five different things. One would be creating a department of community safety. Often times police officers respond to things like issues of mental health, which they aren’t the best equipped for. I have a direct experience with my little sister who accessed that, and that was a response. Two would be creating a department or um, sorry, I mean investing in affordable housing. Three, investing in healthier communities. Four, protecting the most vulnerable in our community. This would include the homeless population, immigrants, and LGBTQ+. And then five would be power back to the people.
Learn more about Mr. Montalvo-Martinez here.
I noticed that my fellow Iowa Writers Collaborative member and friend Rekha Basu was busy working the crowd. I look forward to reading her story. Find her work here. Laura Belin also shares some detailed reporting on the story here.
I talked to a friend who is living in Iowa under DACA, Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals. I’m not using her name because while DACA should protect her, she tells me that under the Trump administration “everyone is fair game.”
I asked her about her safety while she was at the protest. Below is what she told me about why she was there, and something else she wants to share, lightly edited. I’m not sharing the audio to protect her identity.
I’m saying that right now for me, this is not a time to stay low. Like this is an opportunity. You know? And I think people really need to understand how much money there is behind these operations, because there’s a lot of money. This is not about hate. This is about money.
There are a lot of contracts out there that are being paid right now. So people need, you know, they need people to fill up like those sales, those buses, those trucks. They need people that can eat those meals, you know, like they’re outsourcing everything. There’s a lot of companies making money off of this.
So this is not just about silencing people, about hate, underneath it all, it’s about money, and people need to understand that.
I’m a proud member of the Iowa Writers’ Collaborative. Please check out our work here. Subscribe! Become a paid subscriber if you can afford it. Please and thank you. We need you. Thanks for being part of the team! Want to buy me lunch or a cup of coffee? Venmo @Robert-Leonard-238. My friend Spencer Dirks and I have a podcast titled The Iowa Revolution. Check it out! We can get ornery. And have fun! I also publish Cedar Creek Nature Notes, about Violet the Dog and my adventures on our morning walks at Cedar Bluffs Natural Area in Mahaska County, Iowa.
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As usual, great reporting, Bob. I hope we can uncover the truth in this matter and clear Dr. Roberts' name. I especially appreciate the comment from the anonymous person regarding the funding behind these efforts. ICE detentions are a big business....and yes, a lot of contracts are being fulfilled for profit.
Thank you, Dr. Bob, for covering this. Even as a white man, born and raised in Iowa, I was concerned about my welfare; not scared, but unsure of where my comments may lead. I don’t care anymore and am proud to speak out against this travesty of a state and federal government. Keep up the great work that you, Laura, Rekha and others are doing. I am praying for your safety.