Students, staff and the greater Des Moines, Iowa community are rallying behind the superintendent of one of the biggest districts in the state after he was arrested by ICE. Dr. Ian Roberts had been a pillar in his community. Now, the government has accused him of being a criminal.
Suggested Reading
Shortly before 3 p.m. on Friday (Sept. 26), ICE agents reportedly approached Roberts while he was inside his vehicle, but then the teacher allegedly sped away, KCCI reported. Agents eventually found his car abandoned near a wooded area, and Roberts was later arrested.
Immediately following his arrest, many in Roberts’ community protested in his honor. But in order to understand the outcry after Roberts’ detainment, you have to start at the very beginning of his story.
Born to Guyanese immigrants, Roberts entered the U.S. on a student visa in 1999, according to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). He attended Coppin State University — a historically Black college in Maryland — on a track scholarship.
“I never lost an 800m to any athlete from those colleges,” Roberts said, according to his bio on the district website. During his time, he became the school’s first men’s NCAA all-American in any sport and was also Coppin’s first-ever Olympic athlete in 2000. This same year, Roberts was inducted to the school’s hall of fame.
Outside of sports, Roberts found a passion for education, which led to him completing programs at Morgan State University, Harvard’s Graduate School of Education, Georgetown’s McDonough School of Business and MIT’s Sloan School of Management, his bio read.
“Today, my life’s journey is anchored in leadership and service that prioritizes potential over current performance in children and adults,” he said. Roberts went on to begin his teaching career in school districts in St. Louis, Baltimore, Washington D.C. and New York City. In July 2023, he became the superintendent of Des Moines public school district (DMPS), the largest district in the state, reports said.
Despite Roberts initially coming to the U.S. legally, DHS said he received a final order of removal by an immigration judge in May of last year. On top of that, the department reported Roberts has an outstanding weapons possession charge from February 2020, which is related to a hunting rifle, according to CNN. DHS has now deemed him a public safety threat.
“This should be a wake-up call for our communities to the great work that our officers are doing every day to remove public safety threats,” ICE ERO St. Paul Field Office Director Sam Olson said. “How this illegal alien was hired without work authorization, a final order of removal, and a prior weapons charge is beyond comprehension and should alarm the parents of that school district.”
The school district announced Roberts was put on paid leave following his arrest. School Board President Jackie Norris released a statement saying, “Our priority is to provide a safe, secure and outstanding education for all students and to support our students, families, and employees.”
Hours after Roberts was arrested, community members gathered at the federal building in Des Moines to protest ICE. KCCI reported at least 200 demonstrators were present. Folks held signs which read “Free Dr. Roberts” and “Release Our Superintendent.”
Straight From 
Sign up for our free daily newsletter.