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1h ago

ICE Detains Des Moines Schools Chief as District Installs Interim Leader

ICE attributes the detention to a final removal order with alleged weapon possession during a targeted operation.

Dr Ian Roberts (1)
Ian Roberts speaks with the media after being named the new DMPS superintendent during a Des Moines Public Schools board meeting at Central Campus on Tuesday, May 16, 2023, in Des Moines.
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Overview

  • Des Moines Public Schools confirmed Superintendent Ian Roberts was taken into custody Friday morning, and the board elevated Associate Superintendent Matt Smith to interim superintendent.
  • DHS and Iowa public safety officials say Roberts fled when approached, abandoned a vehicle, and was later located with help from Iowa State Patrol.
  • ICE says Roberts had a loaded handgun, a fixed‑blade knife, and $3,000 in cash; possessing a firearm is prohibited for people without legal status, and ATF is reviewing how the gun was obtained.
  • Federal officials say Roberts entered the U.S. on a student visa in 1999, received a final order of removal in May 2024, had no work authorization, and had prior weapon‑possession charges dating to 2020, with public records showing a 2022 guilty plea.
  • Custody details remained inconsistent Friday, with ICE’s detainee locator listing Pottawattamie County Jail at one point while jail staff said he was not there and subsequent listings changed without clarification.