School superintendent arrested by ICE, Des Moines district says
- - School superintendent arrested by ICE, Des Moines district says
Samantha Hernandez, USA TODAY NETWORK September 26, 2025 at 8:55 PM
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Des Moines Public Schools Superintendent Ian Roberts was arrested by Immigration Customs Enforcement Friday morning, according to a district email.
A message from Des Moines School Board Chair Jackie Norris said Associate Superintendent Matt Smith will serve as interim superintendent until further notice.
"This action follows Dr. Ian Roberts being detained by Immigration Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents this morning. We have no confirmed information as to why Dr. Roberts is being detained or the next potential steps," the release states.
1 / 10NYC protest against treatment of detained immigrants leads to dozens of arrestsNew York City Police Department officers detain a person during a protest against Immigration and Customs Enforcement outside U.S. immigration court in Manhattan on September 18, 2025.
Roberts has served as Des Moines Public Schools superintendent since July 2023. Smith previously served as interim superintendent during the 2022-23 school year.
"Our priority is to provide a safe, secure and outstanding education for all students and to support our students, families, and employees," school board president Jackie Norris said in a letter to the school community. "The Board has the highest confidence in Mr. Smith’s leadership at this time. We know you have many questions, and we will provide updates as we learn more confirmed information."
Online records confirm Roberts in ICE custody
Immigrations and Customs Enforcement and the Department of Homeland Security did not immediately return requests for comment, but online records confirm Roberts' arrest. According to ICE's website, Roberts is in the agency's custody, currently detained at the Pottawattamie County Jail in Iowa.
That would put him in close proximity to the Omaha Immigration Court, the closest federal immigration court to Des Moines.
Ian Roberts speaks with the media after being named the new DMPS superintendent during a Des Moines Public Schools board meeting at Central Campus on Tuesday, May 16, 2023, in Des Moines.
Roberts became the superintendent of Des Moines Public Schools in July 2023. He succeeded longtime Superintendent Tom Ahart, who resigned at the end of the 2021-2022 school year.
Before a career in education, Roberts competed in the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games in track and field for Guyana, the South American country where he was born, as a mid-distance runner.
The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement website lists Des Moines Public Schools Superintendent Ian Roberts in custody in Pottawattamie County on Sept. 26, 2025.
This is a developing story and will be .
This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: ICE arrests Des Moines school superintendent. district says
Source: “AOL General News”
