Kristi Noem, DHS Secretary | official facebook
On October 3, 2025, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) released new details regarding Ian Andre Roberts, who was serving as the superintendent of Des Moines Public Schools in Iowa at the time of his arrest on September 26.
According to DHS, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials approached Roberts, who then identified himself before fleeing in his vehicle. He abandoned the car and attempted to hide approximately 200 meters away but was found with assistance from Iowa State Patrol officers. ICE reported that a loaded handgun, hunting knife, and $3,000 in cash were discovered in his vehicle. On October 2, Roberts was charged with being an illegal alien in possession of firearms.
Roberts’ criminal history includes multiple offenses over several decades. He has faced charges related to narcotics possession and intent to sell in New York (1996), unauthorized use of a vehicle (1998), reckless driving and speeding convictions in Maryland (2012), several weapons charges between 2020 and 2022 across multiple states, and most recently for being an illegal alien possessing firearms.
Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin stated: “Ian Andre Roberts, a criminal illegal alien with multiple weapons charges and a drug trafficking charge, should have never been able to work around children. When ICE officers arrested this Superintendent, he was in possession of an illegal handgun, a hunting knife, and nearly $3,000 in cash. This criminal illegal alien is now in U.S. Marshals custody and facing charges for being an illegal alien in possession of a firearms. Under Secretary Noem, ICE will continue to arrest the worst of the worst and put the safety of America’s children FIRST.”
Roberts’ immigration record shows numerous visa entries into the United States since 1994 under both tourist and student status. He filed four separate applications for permanent residency (“green card”) between 2001 and 2018; all were denied by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). He also received temporary employment authorization documents on two occasions.
A Dallas immigration judge ordered Roberts removed from the United States in absentia on May 22, 2024. His subsequent motion to reopen his case was denied on April 24, 2025. Despite these rulings, Roberts remained employed as superintendent until his recent arrest by ICE agents.
Roberts is currently held by U.S. Marshals pending prosecution on federal firearm charges related to his immigration status.
