(DES MOINES, IOWA) The superintendent of Des Moines Public Schools, Ian Andre Roberts, has resigned while he fights deportation after his arrest by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. ICE agents took Roberts into custody on September 26, 2025, in Iowa. He is an undocumented immigrant from Guyana with a deportation order issued in May 2024.
His legal team has asked the federal immigration court in Omaha to put his removal on hold while he challenges the order. As of September 30, 2025, he remains detained at the Woodbury County Jail in Sioux City, Iowa, according to case updates from the district and court filings.
Before his resignation, the school board had placed him on unpaid leave and set a deadline for him to provide proof of his legal right to work in the United States 🇺🇸, a deadline he did not meet. The board then accepted his resignation as he contests removal in immigration court. Associate Superintendent Matt Smith is now serving as interim superintendent and is leading efforts to keep classrooms and services running without interruption.
Arrest details and immediate fallout
Court documents state that Roberts initially fled from ICE officers before he was apprehended with a loaded handgun, a fixed blade hunting knife, and $3,000 in cash. His arrest prompted protests outside the federal courthouse in Des Moines, where demonstrators called for his release and denounced deportation actions against a school leader with deep ties to Iowa’s education community.
The district said its focus is on stability for more than 30,000 students while legal proceedings continue. Under interim leadership, district officials say they are maintaining normal operations, including transportation, nutrition, and special education services.
Legal posture and next steps
Roberts’ lawyers have asked the immigration court to pause his removal while they challenge the May 2024 order. In immigration cases, a “stay” request seeks temporary protection from deportation while an appeal or motion is decided.
The federal immigration courts are run by the Department of Justice’s Executive Office for Immigration Review, which oversees immigration judges and case processing across the country. The filing in Omaha signals his team is pursuing options within the court system that could affect the timing of any removal.
A stay request is decided on written submissions and the case history; if granted, it can temporarily prevent ICE from carrying out a deportation order while legal challenges proceed.
Attorneys for Roberts have not publicly released a detailed legal brief beyond confirming that a request to halt removal is pending with the immigration court in Omaha.
Background and professional history
Roberts’ immigration history dates back more than two decades. He entered the country on a student visa in 1999 and overstayed. Public records show a weapons arrest in 2020 and a guilty plea to another weapons charge in Pennsylvania in 2022.
Those incidents sit alongside a professional career that included service as an Olympic athlete for Guyana and later as a senior educator. He rose to lead Des Moines Public Schools, one of Iowa’s most watched districts, until the ICE arrest triggered a chain of administrative and legal steps culminating in his resignation.
Supporters at the courthouse framed that record in education as a reason to allow him to remain while his court fight plays out. Opponents argue that a final deportation order should be executed unless a judge grants a legal pause. Both views have surfaced in Iowa’s civic discussion since the arrest.
Community response and district impact
The federal arrest set off immediate public reaction in Des Moines. Protesters gathered outside the courthouse to call for Roberts’ release and to challenge how deportation actions can ripple across schools, neighborhoods, and local government.
For immigrant families in Iowa, the case has raised concerns about:
- Trust and participation in public institutions
- Whether district leadership changes could affect student services
- How schools should communicate about sensitive legal matters
Teachers and staff have faced questions from students about Roberts’ absence, the meaning of detention, and why immigration authorities act even when a leader appears embedded in community life.
District officials have emphasized continuity in teaching, school safety, and operational services while the board reviews next steps for long‑term governance. According to district updates, interim superintendent Matt Smith has stepped into day‑to-day leadership, including coordination with principals and central office teams.
Timeline of key developments
- 1999 — Roberts enters the United States on a student visa and remains after it expires.
- May 2024 — An immigration judge issues a deportation order.
- 2020 and 2022 — Weapons cases arise, including a 2022 guilty plea in Pennsylvania.
- September 26, 2025 — ICE arrests Roberts in Iowa; he is found with a loaded handgun, a hunting knife, and $3,000.
- Late September 2025 — The school board places him on unpaid leave, sets a documentation deadline he does not meet, and he then resigns.
- September 30, 2025 — Roberts remains held at Woodbury County Jail in Sioux City as his legal team seeks a stay of removal in Omaha.
Employment rules and governance implications
The board’s demand for proof of work authorization reflects federal employment laws that require valid documents for workers in the United States 🇺🇸. When Roberts could not provide those documents by the deadline, the board placed him on unpaid leave and then accepted his resignation.
For large systems like Des Moines Public Schools, clear succession plans — such as elevating an associate superintendent — help reduce disruption. District observers note that school systems often plan for leadership changes due to health, contract transitions, or—in rare instances—immigration detention. In Des Moines, that planning is being tested in real time.
What to watch next
- Whether the immigration court in Omaha grants a stay of removal while Roberts’ lawyers pursue challenges to the May 2024 order.
- Any additional filings or public legal briefs from Roberts’ attorneys.
- District announcements about longer‑term governance and whether the interim superintendent remains in place.
- Further community responses, including organized protests or support events.
For official information about immigration courts and case processes, readers can consult the Department of Justice’s Executive Office for Immigration Review.
As of the last update on September 30, 2025, Roberts remains in detention, the interim superintendent is in place, protests have occurred outside the federal courthouse in Des Moines, and the legal request to put his deportation on hold is pending in Omaha. The district continues to emphasize stability for students and staff across Iowa’s capital city while the immigration case unfolds.
This Article in a Nutshell
Ian Andre Roberts, superintendent of Des Moines Public Schools, resigned after his arrest by ICE on September 26, 2025. Roberts, an undocumented immigrant from Guyana with a deportation order issued in May 2024, remains detained at Woodbury County Jail as his legal team seeks a stay of removal in federal immigration court in Omaha. Court filings say he fled officers and was found with a loaded handgun, a fixed‑blade hunting knife, and $3,000. The school board had placed him on unpaid leave after he failed to provide proof of work authorization, then accepted his resignation. Associate Superintendent Matt Smith is now interim superintendent, and district officials stress continuity of services for over 30,000 students while legal proceedings continue. Community protests occurred outside the federal courthouse in Des Moines, and observers are watching for court rulings and further administrative actions.
