ICE arrests superintendent who was allegedly in US illegally for years

Reactions poured in on social media following the Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrest of the Des Moines Public Schools Superintendent this week.

Ian Roberts was arrested by ICE, which says he is in the country illegally from Guyana and was not legally permitted to work in the United States, and had a final order of removal from a judge last May.

“Incredible. An illegal alien with a deportation order managed to become the Superintendent of Schools for Des Moines, earning more than $300,000 a year,” Attorney Laura Powell posted to X.

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“How does someone here as an illegal alien end up in a position like this!?!?!?!?!?” another user wrote.

“This is a crazy story!” retired Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department Chief Patrick Jordan posted.

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“Unbelievable story. How does this happen and how many other places have similar situations?” Fox News contributor Jason Chaffetz wrote.

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“He should be deported immediately. He should have never been anywhere around Iowa kids in the first place!” Rep. Ashley Hinson, R-Iowa, posted.

Others strongly disagreed with his arrest, including protesters in the city, the Des Moines Register reported on Friday.

“ICE is tackling mothers, violently detaining citizens, and arresting people in the middle of traffic. Now they’re arresting a superintendent with a doctorate and a masters degree who used to be an Olympic athlete. It’s time to abolish ICE,” Michigan State House candidate Zachary Shinabargar posted.

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On Friday, he was arrested after allegedly driving away from law enforcement after “identifying himself” to them. He later abandoned his car in the woods, and Iowa State Patrol ended up finding him, according to a press release.

“This suspect was arrested in possession of a loaded weapon in a vehicle provided by Des Moines Public Schools after fleeing federal law enforcement,” ICE ERO St. Paul Field Office Director Sam Olson said in a statement.  “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. 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 district said that Roberts had previously done an I-9 to prove legal status, but that it was conducted by a third-party group and that it did not know about an order of removal, according to the Associated Press.

Roberts came to the United States with a student visa in 1999 and had charges for weapon possession in 2020, according to ICE.