Ice detains superintendent of Iowa's largest school district [View all]

Source: The Guardian



US Immigration Customs Enforcement (Ice) have detained the superintendent of Iowa’s largest school district.

Ian Roberts, the superintendent of Des Moines Public Schools (DMPS), was detained on Friday morning, according to the district’s board chair. “We have no confirmed information as to why Dr Roberts is being detained or the next potential steps,” said Jackie Norris, the DMPS board chair, in a press release on Friday. The district also named an interim superintendent.

Roberts appears to be held at the Pottawattamie county jail, about two hours west of Des Moines, according to the Ice online detainee database. The database also lists Roberts’ country of birth as Guyana.

In a statement to the Guardian, DHS said that Roberts was arrested because he had “a final order of removal and no work authorization”.

Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/sep/26/ian-roberts-ice-detention-iowa-school-district-superintendent