DES MOINES, Iowa (WHO-TV) — The arrest of Des Moines Public School Superintendent Dr. Ian Roberts by immigration authorities on Friday was partially recorded during a FaceTime conversation with a district colleague, according to the employee.
The district’s communications director, Phil Roeder, stated that Roberts was en route to Windsor Elementary School on Friday morning, where he was set to run with students—an activity he often participated in since his participation in the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney, Australia, while competing for Guyana in track and field.
However, Roberts never reached Windsor Elementary. Instead, he sent a message to Roeder just before 9 a.m., informing him that he had an emergency.
Roeder mentioned he got a FaceTime call from Roberts approximately 45 minutes later.
I received a FaceTime call from him, which was somewhat unusual,” Roeder said. “I FaceTime with my grandchildren, but not typically with colleagues. However, due to his previous message and because he’s the boss, I answered it. It took a few seconds for me to realize what I was seeing.
Roeder mentioned that the call lasted approximately 20 seconds. He observed that Roberts was surrounded by “three or four law enforcement officers” and that one of them definitely had “a long firearm of some kind.”
He mentioned that Roberts seemed to be in handcuffs and was standing with his hands behind his back.
It took me a few seconds to really realize what I was seeing,” Roeder said. “I finally asked, ‘Dr. Roberts, can you hear me? Is everything okay?’ and then the call ended.
Roeder mentioned he wasn’t certain who placed the call or whether it was done on purpose. Nevertheless, he noted that the call was helpful for the Des Moines Public School District since they quickly found out that he had been taken into custody by the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
“I believe it was approximately four or five hours following that call before ICE released any information,” said Roeder.
That press releaseAccording to ICE, Roberts arrived in the United States in 1999 from Guyana on a student visa and received a final removal order from an immigration judge in May 2024. This decision was made exactly one year after Roberts was named Superintendent of Iowa’s largest school district.
Roberts was taken into custody on Friday morning following his escape from law enforcement, as stated in the report. He was operating a district vehicle and was found carrying a loaded firearm, $3,000 in cash, and a fixed-blade hunting knife.
“This serves as a wake-up call for our communities regarding the significant efforts our officers make daily to eliminate public safety risks. The fact that this illegal immigrant was employed without proper work authorization, had a final removal order, and previously faced a weapons charge is hard to believe and should concern the parents in that school district,” said Sam Olson, Director of the ICE ERO St. Paul Field Office.
The statement also mentioned that Roberts had prior charges related to weapon possession from February 2020 in Pennsylvania. According to state records, he admitted guilt to the charge in 2022.
The Des Moines Public School Board conducted a closed special meeting on Saturday night, during which they voted unanimously to place Roberts on paid administrative leave until further details are obtained.
The district stated that all the documents they received from Roberts showed he was a citizen and qualified to work in the United States. As per the district, he successfully completed their third-party background screening along with an FBI background check conducted by the Iowa Department of Education.
School Board President, Jackie Norris,joined “Today in Iowa Sunday”where she stated the district was not informed of the immigration judge’s removal order.
“The district did not obtain any information from any organization, which is troubling. We are treating this matter very seriously, but we have not received that information,” she stated.
“And I must admit, I’m somewhat weary of people criticizing Des Moines Public Schools. Our reading scores are improving, we’re moving in the correct direction, and what people can do at this moment is show love for our students and back our teachers,” she stated.
Roberts was detained at the Woodbury County Law Enforcement Center in Sioux City, Iowa, on Monday. By Monday morning, his legal team had yet to make any statements regarding the case.
Following his arrest, the The Iowa Board of Educational Examiners withdrew Dr. Roberts’ license., which makes him ineligible to work as a school superintendent.
Demonstrations in favor of Roberts began as early as Friday afternoon. Hundreds of residents from Iowa assembled outside the Neal Smith Federal Building on Friday, while around three dozen individuals participated in a protest at the Woodbury County Law Enforcement Center on Saturday.
The NAACP came to see Roberts over the weekend. In a statementposted to Facebook, the organization stated, “He thanked everyone for the strong support received from people and groups across the country and reasserted his dedication to education and helping students succeed. Dr. Roberts mentioned that he is in high spirits and that his belief in God will keep him going.”
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