US EditionPublished • loading... • Updated
Des Moines Public Schools Students Walk Out in Protest of Ian Roberts' Arrest by ICE
Ian Roberts, superintendent since 2023, overstayed a student visa and ignored a deportation order while leading Iowa's largest district of 31,000 students, officials said.
- On Sept. 26, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrested Ian Roberts, former Des Moines Public Schools Superintendent, and took him into custody.
- Immigration records show Roberts entered the U.S. on an F-1 student visa in 1999 and received a final order of removal in May 2024; an immigration judge denied his motion to reopen in April 2025.
- Agents found a loaded handgun, a hunting knife and about $3,000 in cash in Roberts' district-issued vehicle, and ICE released records showing a criminal history beginning 1996 with narcotics, forgery, and weapon-possession charges.
- The Iowa Board of Educational Examiners revoked Roberts' license on Sept. 28, the Des Moines school board placed him on unpaid leave Sept. 29, and students protested Sept. 30.
- Sen. Chuck Grassley wrote to the Department of Homeland Security seeking answers about Ian Roberts with a response due by Friday, October 3, 2025, as Republicans call for investigations and DMPS sues the hiring consultant.
Insights by Ground AI
11 Articles
11 Articles
The Iowa Immigration Case That Is a Bipartisan Embarrassment
How exactly does a Guyanan immigrant alleged to be in the US illegally come to be superintendent of the largest school district in Iowa? Just as important, how did Ian Roberts get hired by a half-dozen public school districts in the US over the last 25 years before landing his $300,000-a-year job in Des Moines?
·United States
Read Full Article
The ICE stated that Roberts arrived on a student visa in 1999, so his stay in the country was inappropriate.
Coverage Details
Total News Sources11
Leaning Left3Leaning Right4Center2Last UpdatedBias Distribution45% Right
Bias Distribution
- 45% of the sources lean Right
45% Right
L 33%
C 22%
R 45%
Factuality
To view factuality data please Upgrade to Premium
