ICE recently arrested the system superintendent for Des Moines Independent Community School District, Ian Andre Roberts (54). Before that, he was superintendent of schools at Millcreek Township School District in Pennsylvania. He has also held high roles in public education in Baltimore, Washington, D.C., St. Louis, and California. During his 20 years as a leader in education, his districts were sued four times for sex discrimination. One district had to pay over $400,000 in settlements to resolve three of them.
DHS has published his entire immigration record and lists his first entry as having been on June 1, 1994, when he came through JFK on a temporary, B-2 non-immigrant visa (i.e., a visitor for pleasure). But Coppin State University in West Baltimore, MD, say Roberts graduated in 1998, which begs the question of why he wasn’t here on a student visa. Coppin says Roberts was “a standout scholar and athlete during his undergraduate studies”, but did not specify what degree he earned.
On July 3, 1996, part way through his undergraduate years, Roberts was charged with criminal possession of narcotics with intent to sell, criminal possession of narcotics, criminal possession of a forgery instrument and possession of a forged instrument in New York. Was he using drug sales to finance his education? And why wasn’t he deported, since his B-2 visa had expired?
On March 8, 1999, Roberts again entered the country, this time on an F-1 student visa. St. John’s University in New York has confirmed that he was matriculated and received a master’s degree in education on June 4, 2000. Roberts has claimed to have earned a second master’s degree from the McDonough School of Business at Georgetown University, but Georgetown says they have no record of his ever attending.
Between 1999 and 2000, he left and returned several times, perhaps to train and then run in the 2020 Summer Olympics in Sydney, Australia, where he represented Guyana in track.
On Feb. 9, 2000, Roberts filed an application for employment authorization, which was approved on April 5, 2000, with an expiration date of April 1, 2001. In May 21, 2001, he filed for permanent resident status (aka, green card), but was rejected.
From Fall 2002 to Spring 2007, Roberts was enrolled in the doctorate program in urban educational leadership at Morgan State University in Baltimore. He has claimed to have earned a doctorate in Education, but Morgan State says that, while he did attend, he did not graduate.
On Nov. 1, 2012, Roberts was convicted of reckless driving, unsafe operation, and speeding in Maryland.
In 2017, while Roberts was the principal of Anacostia High School, Washington, DC, he registered as a Democrat with the Maryland State Board of Elections.
From 2018 to 2020, Roberts was Chief Schools Officer for Aspire Public Schools, Oakland, CA. Once in May, twice in June, and then again in July of 2018, Roberts filed green card applications; all four were rejected.
In July of 2018 and again in November of 2019, he filed for employment authorizations, which were granted. His right to be in the USA expired on Dec. 18, 2020. On Oct. 2, 2020, USCIS issued him a notice to appear before an immigration judge, which he ignored.
On Feb. 3, 2020, he was charged with second-degree criminal possession of a weapon (having a loaded firearm outside his home or business); third-degree criminal possession of a weapon (an ammunition feeding device); and fourth-degree weapon charges.
On Jan. 20, 2022, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania convicted Roberts of unlawful possession of a loaded firearm.
From August 2020 through June 2023, Roberts was superintendent of the Millcreek Township School District, Pennsylvania. The Millcreek Township School District is saying now that, prior to hiring, Roberts went through an FBI background check, completed I-9 eligibility forms and supplied documentation to support his eligibility to work. The district said it “never received any information or notification regarding the expiration of Dr. Roberts’ work authorization” and called reports of his detention “deeply concerning.”
In August of 2023, Roberts had a sealed restraining order filed against him in Jackson County, Missouri.
Also in 2023, Roberts was hired to become the new system superintendent for Des Moines Independent Community School District.
On May 22, 2024, Roberts was court ordered in absentia to leave the country.
On April 24, 2025, an immigration judge denied Roberts’ motion to reopen his case.
In July of 2024, he received a speeding ticket from Iowa State Patrol.
On September 26, 2025, Roberts was detained in Des Moines, Iowa. Following news of the arrest, a spokesperson for the Des Moines Independent Community School District told the Associated Press that they had done a “comprehensive background check,” that he had sworn on his application to be a U.S. Citizen and had provided them with a driver’s license and a Social Security card. They also stated that a law firm had reviewed the documents and did not raise any concerns about his eligibility to work.
The district is also now blaming the head hunting firm they hired, saying the firm did not inform them of any problems. But the firm says it performed a criminal background check and notified the district of Robert’s rap sheet. One of the news reports I saw also noted that the school board also had learned during the hiring process that Roberts had lied about his doctoral degree. Clearly, they ignored all the red flags, because they hired him anyway.
On October 2, Roberts was transferred to federal custody where he faces charges of being an illegal alien in possession of multiple firearms. These firearms include a loaded Glock 9mm pistol found in his car when he was apprehended, as well as a loaded and chambered 9mm pistol found underneath a seat cushion in the living room, a loaded rifle found in the master bedroom closet, and a shotgun found behind the master bedroom headboard.
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