The superintendent of Des Moines Public Schools has been detained by U.S. Customs and Immigration Enforcement, and the agency claims that the Guyana-born man was found with a loaded weapon while here illegally.

In a message sent out to the district community, school board chair Jackie Norris confirmed that Superintendent Ian Roberts, 52, had been detained Friday morning, adding that the district received "no confirmed information as to why Dr. Roberts is being detained or the next potential steps." 

Officials with ICE said they took Roberts into custody with the assistance of the Iowa State Patrol. ICE said that Roberts was "in possession of a loaded handgun, $3,000 in cash and a fixed blade hunting knife." ICE claims that Roberts was under a final order of removal dating back to May 2024 and had no work authorization.

Iowa Department of Public Safety officials say that, when they attempted to approach Roberts in his vehicle at about 8:45 a.m. Friday, he sped off. Agents say they later discovered his vehicle abandoned; he was found and taken into custody shortly after.

According to ICE's website, Roberts is currently detained at the Pottawattamie County Jail, which is in Council Bluffs, Iowa, roughly 130 miles west of Des Moines and in the vicinity of the Omaha Immigration Court. His country of birth is listed as Guyana. His online biography says he spent much of his childhood in Brooklyn, New York.

The Des Moines Register reports that Roberts, who was named superintendent in the summer of 2023, also competed in the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games in track and field for Guyana as a mid-distance runner. The district serves about 30,000 students.

ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations St. Paul Field Office Director Sam Olson called the arrest "a wake-up call."

"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," Olson said.

The Department of Homeland Security claims Roberts' existing weapon possession charge dates back to Feb. 5, 2020.

Norris said that the district would elevate Associate Superintendent Matt Smith into the role of interim superintendent until further notice.

This is a developing story, and will be updated as more information is available.