The apprehension of the superintendent of Iowa’s biggest institution area by Migration and Traditions Enforcement policemans has actually come to be a top-level instance, entailing a veteran institution manager that authorities claim is not accredited to operate in the united state and whose history has actually come under examination.
Ian Roberts, 54, was the superintendent of Des Moines Public Schools for over 2 years prior to his resignation on Sept. 1 month after his apprehension. He had actually formerly held management placements in institution areas throughout the united state for 20 years.
Ian Roberts in a picture dated, Feb. 26, 2025, launched by ICE.
ICE
In the days because he was collared, Roberts has actually additionally been government billed for claimed guns offenses, and claims and state examinations are being sought over his hiring.
Below’s a check out just how the legend has actually unravelled, consisting of several of Roberts’ previous work, criminal background and migration procedures.
June 1, 1994
Roberts gets in the united state in New York City City on a B-2 non-immigrant visa, according to a press release from the Division of Homeland Safety and security describing his migration and criminal background.
July 3, 1996
Roberts is butted in New york city with narcotics ownership and intent to market narcotics, to name a few matters, according to DHS, which did not note what resulted the instance.
1998
The criminology significant grads from Coppin State College in Baltimore, according to the school.
Nov. 13, 1998
Roberts is billed with third-degree unapproved use an automobile in New york city City, which was disregarded the list below year, according to DHS.
March 1999
Roberts gets in the united state in San Francisco on an F-1 pupil visa, which is readied to run out on March 7, 2004, according to DHS.
Feb. 9, 2000
Roberts submits an application with the united state Citizenship and Migration Provider (USCIS) for work consent, which is authorized in April and readied to run out on April 1, 2001, according to DHS.
June 2000
Roberts gains a master’s level in social research studies from St. John’s College, according to The Associated Press.
September 2000
Roberts contends in the 800 meters in the Sydney Olympics, standing for Guyana, according to the Olympics internet site and the website for World Athletics, the worldwide regulating body for track and area. He does not progress out of an initial warm.
Might 21, 2001
Roberts submits a permit application with USCIS, which is declined in January 2003, according to DHS, which did not state the reason.
2002-2007
Roberts seeks a doctorate at Morgan State College in Baltimore, the AP reported. He did not inevitably make a level from the institution, though while getting the Des Moines superintendent setting, he sent a return to that showed he had, according to Des Moines Public Schools. The disparity was flagged throughout a history check and his return to was upgraded to keep in mind that he did not finish the argumentation needed to make the level, according to the institution area.
Nov. 1, 2012
Roberts is founded guilty of negligent driving, hazardous procedure and speeding in Maryland, according to DHS. At the time, he had placements with New Leaders for New Schools in Baltimore and the Area of Columbia Public Schools, according to his LinkedIn account.
2018
Roberts documents permit applications once again with USCIS in Might and June, which are both rejected later on that year, according to DHS, which did not state why.
In July, he obtains a change of condition based upon his marital relationship to a united state person, yet it is later on rejected in January 2020 since he “stopped working to reply to an ask for added info,” according to a government criminal problem.
At the time of these applications, he’s a middle/high institution superintendent for St. Louis Public Schools and after that a primary colleges policeman at Aspire Public Schools in The golden state, according to his LinkedIn account.
July 15, 2018
Roberts declare work consent files, which USCIS gives later on that year, according to DHS.
Nov. 18, 2019
Prior to the consent is readied to run out, Roberts submits once again for work consent files, which USCIS gives numerous weeks later on, according to DHS.
Feb. 3, 2020
An image launched by ICE of Ian Roberts dated February 2020.
ICE
Roberts encounters numerous tools costs, consisting of criminal ownership of a tool, according to DHS, which did not keep in mind the place of the declaring or what resulted the instance. He is in between tasks currently, according to his LinkedIn account.
August 2020
Roberts starts acting as superintendent of the Millcreek Territory College Area in Erie, Pennsylvania, a setting he holds for virtually 3 years.
Dec. 18, 2020
Roberts’ legal work consent ends, according to DHS.
Jan. 20, 2022
Roberts is founded guilty in Pennsylvania of illegal ownership of a packed weapon, according to DHS. Roberts begged guilty to the fee, stating in a statement that he did so to “stay clear of the unneeded time far from my duties” as superintendent. He states he was going back to his auto after searching and put his packed rifle in the automobile after being dropped in a state video game warden.
July 2023
Roberts starts acting as the superintendent of Des Moines Public Schools.
August 2023
Roberts is offered with a limiting order, according to the constable’s division in Polk Area, Iowa, which offered notification of the order to Roberts at his workplace.
The documents are secured, so the factor for the limiting order– which was released by a court in Jackson Area, Missouri– and the identification of the individual requesting it are not public.
Might 22, 2024
A migration court in Dallas orders that Roberts be eliminated from the united state throughout a hearing he did not participate in, according to DHS.
April 24, 2025
A migration court in Dallas refutes Roberts his activity to resume migration procedures, discovering that Roberts stopped working to show, as asserted in the activity, that he did not obtain notification of the 2024 hearing, according to court filings.
Sept. 26, 2025
ICE representatives arrest Roberts in Des Moines throughout a “targeted enforcement procedure.” He supposedly scampered after policemans approached his automobile, and was later on discovered after deserting his automobile near a woody location, according to ICE.
An image of what ICE reported as a packed pistol discovered in Ian Robert’s automobile, Sept. 26, 2025.
ICE
A packed pistol is discovered in his district-issued automobile “covered in a towel under the motorist’s seat,” according to the government criminal problem. It was bought in Arkansas in 2019 from a government certified dealership by a person that is thought to be Roberts’ partner, according to the problem.
Throughout a search of his home, police locate 3 even more guns, according to the problem.
Sept. 29, 2025
The Iowa Board of Educational Inspectors withdraws Roberts’ manager certificate. The Des Moines College Board after that elects all to place him on overdue management leave and to offer evidence that he is accredited to operate in the united state or face discontinuation.
Roberts’ lawyer submits an activity in migration court in Omaha, Nebraska, to remain the instructor’s order of elimination, according to the lawyer, Alfredo Parrish.
Sept. 30, 2025
Roberts sends his resignation as superintendent, which the Des Moines College Board approves. He did not offer the board with the inquired, according to the institution board.
Parrish states his workplace will certainly be submitting an activity to resume Roberts’ migration instance.
” This is an extremely complicated instance,” Parrish states throughout a press rundown. “It’s complicated, it’s challenging and there are … what I would certainly call a myriad of problems that are entailed.”
A “state-level examination” right into Roberts’ hiring is underway, according to Iowa Rep. Zach Nunn, that states in a statement, “Regional leaders owe moms and dads a description, and we require more powerful safeguards to make sure that placements of public depend on are loaded by people that are effectively vetted and legitimately accredited to offer.”
In other places, state political elections authorities in Maryland deal with the searching for that a male whose name, birthdate and address matches Roberts signed up as a Democrat in 2017, according to the Maryland citizen enrollment data source. There’s no document of him casting a tally, authorities stated.
The political elections board of Maryland did not verify that the signed up citizen remains in reality Roberts. It kept in mind in a declaration that people are banned from safeguarding citizen enrollment illegally yet detailed a circumstance in which a disqualified citizen might be “accidentally signed up to elect” through an automated citizen enrollment firm, such as the state’s Car Firm.
Although it’s uncertain if Roberts was signed up to elect, Republican politician participants of the Maryland Home of Delegates have actually because pushed the political elections board on just how a person disqualified to elect might be “accidentally” signed up.
Oct. 2, 2025
Previous Des Moines, Iowa, College Superintendent Ian Roberts, 54, was collared by Migration and Traditions Enforcement in September 2025.
Polk Area Constable’s Workplace
Roberts is apprehended and billed by government district attorneys in Iowa with one matter of being an “unlawful alien in ownership of guns,” according to court documents, after authorities claim guns were discovered in his automobile and home.
The Millcreek Territory College Area announces it has actually asked its lawyers to figure out whether the area has any kind of feasible lawful cases versus Roberts and the search company worked with to carry out history examine him, declaring he misstated his qualifications and incorrectly asserted to be a united state person before his employing in 2020.
” The outright violation of depend on that was carried out by Roberts, that we worked with to lead our colleges, is dishonest,” the area’s institution board stated in a declaration.
Oct. 3, 2025
The Des Moines College Board submits a legal action versus the consulting company it states it worked with in 2023 to carry out a look for a brand-new superintendent, asserting the company stopped working to “effectively veterinarian prospects” which it never ever would certainly have worked with Roberts “if we understood what we understand currently.”
The Texas-based exec search company, JG Consulting, keeps that Roberts “supplied the files needed to reveal that he was qualified for the setting in Des Moines.”
” That the area has actually currently determined to prosecute regarding their option of prospect currently, when they have actually had all appropriate info because the start, is unfavorable and baseless,” the company’s lawyer, Josh Romero, states in a declaration. “We will certainly respond to any kind of cases brought by the area in court.”
