Illegal Alien Employed As The Superintendent of Iowa’s Largest School System Arrested By ICE

Once again, we have entered into the “You Can’t Make It Up Zone.” Somehow, an illegal immigrant, Ian Andre Roberts, with fake degrees, was hired as the head of public schools in Des Moines, Iowa. The Board Chair is a maniacal DEI zealot named Jackie Norris, the former Chief of Staff to none other than Big Mike, Michelle Obama.

The Iowa Board of Education was aware of Ian Andre Roberts’ academic background, but did not conduct a thorough background check before hiring him. Roberts was not only in the country illegally; he was also an active fugitive with a deportation order and had a previous arrest related to weapons.

He was appointed to lead the largest public school district in Iowa, and he has previously held positions in public school systems across multiple states.

Despite these findings and his detainment and arrest by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, school officials have chosen to place him on paid leave, which still means he is receiving pay from his base salary, estimated to be between $270,000 and $286,000 per year.

“While there is still much we don’t know, what we do know is that Dr. Roberts is currently unavailable to perform his duties as superintendent based on Iowa Code,” DMPS board member Kim Martorano said during a live-streamed board hearing Friday.

“Based on Iowa Code 52, Chapter 279, and standard district practice, the motion is to place Dr. Roberts on paid administrative leave pending further information.”

As to how Roberts was ever hired, DMPS board chair Jackie Norris has alleged that he’d passed all the required verification and background checks before being granted his superintendent license in 2023.

“Everything the district has on file indicates that Dr. Roberts affirmed that he was a citizen who was eligible to work in the school district,” Norris said, according to The Register.

Norris mentioned that the FBI criminal background check conducted on Roberts for the Iowa Department of Education found no concerning information.

“The school district ensured that a background check was conducted before hiring Dr. Roberts,” she explained. “That is done for every person who is hired by the district, and periodic reviews are conducted on a regular basis for all current employees.”

DMPS received assistance from JG Consulting in its search for a superintendent. JG Consulting conducted various checks, including criminal, credit, and background checks, all of which Roberts reportedly passed.

According to The Des Moines Register, Matt Smith will serve as the interim superintendent.

In a written news release, ICE warned about the danger that Roberts presented.

“During a targeted enforcement operation on Sept. 26, 2025, officers approached Roberts in his vehicle after identifying himself, but he sped away.Bottom of Form Officers later discovered his vehicle abandoned near a wooded area. State Patrol assisted in locating the subject, and he was taken into ICE custody.”

When found, Roberts had a loaded handgun, $3,000 in cash, and a fixed-blade hunting knife.

“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. “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.” 

According to DHS, people without legal immigration status are prohibited by law from possessing a firearm and ammunition. 

The Des Moines Public Schools provided further information about Roberts and how someone with his criminal record and illegal immigration status was allowed to lead a school district with over 873 staff and 2,077 teachers covering 65 schools and nearly 34,000 students. 

Roberts legally entered the U.S. in 1999 from Guyana on a student visa. However, he overstayed his visa and received a final order of removal from an immigration judge in 2024.

1999 to 2024? This is how so many individuals slip through the cracks. They give the middle finger to reporting on time when their legal status runs out, and they disappear into the crowd, remaining in the country illegally. Somehow, a system must be put in place that more effectively follows those who are here on these various types of visas.

Some congressional Republicans, including Iowa Rep. Ashley Hinson, have called for Roberts’ deportation not only due to his status as an illegal immigrant but also for promoting what the Times refers to as “racial equity efforts.”

Racial equity is essentially a different name for DEI. Both are nothing more than quota systems that favor blacks and those in the LGBTQ community over Whites, Asians, and others. Merit and experience, which should govern all hires, are excluded, with skin color and sexual orientation taking their place. Roberts is black, and appearances suggest that some scrutiny may have been waived to accommodate that fact.

Whatever the reasons, Roberts never should have been placed into that position. He has more than overstayed his welcome during his time in the country; now it’s time to deport him back to Guyana.