Who Is Ian Roberts, Ex-Olympian And School Superintendent Arrested By US Immigration Authorities

Ian Roberts, the first Black superintendent of Des Moines Public Schools, was taken into federal custody Friday by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), officials confirmed.

The Iowa Department of Public Safety said Mr Roberts was arrested after he tried to drive away from ICE agents during a traffic stop. The Department of Homeland Security said he did not have permission to work in the US and was given a final order to leave the country in May 2024, as per Iowa Republic.

ICE records show Mr Roberts was born in Guyana. A jail worker confirmed he is being held at the Woodbury County Law Enforcement Center in Sioux City.

Mr Roberts became superintendent in 2023. School officials said they were struggling to understand ICE's claims and were facing questions about how he was hired.

On Saturday, the School Board voted 7-0 to put Mr Roberts on paid leave during a meeting that lasted less than three minutes.

"I want to be clear, no one here was aware of any citizenship or immigration issues that Dr Roberts may have been facing," said Jackie Norris, the School Board chair, as per The NY Times. "The accusations ICE has made against Dr Roberts are very serious, and we are taking them very seriously."

Who Is Ian Roberts?

• Born to immigrant parents from Guyana, Ian Roberts grew up in Brooklyn, New York. He entered the US on a student visa in 1999 and earned a BS from Coppin State University in Maryland, where he became the college's first men's NCAA All-American and first Olympic athlete, as per CNN.
• He later earned master's degrees from St. John's University and Georgetown University, and a doctorate in Urban Educational Leadership from Trident University. He also holds certificates including Harvard University's "Improving Schools: The Art of Leadership."
• Ian Roberts was named the 15th Superintendent of Des Moines Public Schools, effective July 1, 2023.
• Before coming to Des Moines, Mr Roberts served three years as superintendent of Millcreek Township (PA) School District. He also led as High School Network Superintendent for St. Louis Public Schools, and held positions in Baltimore, Washington DC, and the South Bronx. In 2013, he was named Washington DC Principal of the Year by George Washington University.
• Mr Roberts is a career educator with over 20 years of experience as a teacher, principal, district leader, and author. He also had a distinguished athletic career, competing in track and field at the 2000 Sydney Olympics and World Championships in Maebashi, Japan, and Seville, Spain.
• In 2022, Roberts pleaded guilty to a hunting-related weapon charge in Pennsylvania, which he disclosed to the Des Moines school board during the hiring process. He is a longtime licensed gun owner.
• Mr Roberts' tenure became controversial in 2024 when U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) arrested him during a "targeted enforcement operation." DHS said he did not have work authorisation and had a final order of removal issued in May 2024. At the time of his arrest, DHS said Mr Roberts possessed a loaded handgun, $3,000 in cash, and a fixed-blade hunting knife, which violates federal law for individuals without legal status.