The superintendent of Des Moines Public Schools, Dr. Ian Andre Roberts, has been placed on paid leave after Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents arrested him Friday.

Federal officials revealed Roberts is an illegal alien fugitive from Guyana who has been living in the United States under a deportation order since May 2024.

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According to Fox News reporter Bill Melugin, Roberts attempted to flee once ICE agents identified themselves.

He sped away in his vehicle before abandoning it and running on foot.

An Iowa State Police K9 unit later located him hiding in shrubbery.

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Inside Roberts’ abandoned vehicle, authorities discovered a loaded Glock 19 handgun, a fixed-blade hunting knife, and $3,000 in cash.

Federal officials also noted that Roberts has a prior weapons arrest from 2020.

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Roberts had been serving as superintendent of Des Moines Public Schools since July 2023.

He was hired following a national search conducted by JG Consulting, a firm contracted by the district to identify candidates.

That same year, the Iowa Board of Educational Examiners issued Roberts a superintendent license after an FBI background check reportedly showed no concerns.

In a statement Friday, Des Moines Public Schools announced that Roberts was placed on paid leave pending further investigation.

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School Board Chair Jackie Norris defended the district’s hiring process in a lengthy statement, emphasizing that Roberts had affirmed he was a U.S. citizen on his employment paperwork and that no red flags had been identified through required checks.

“No denying the simple fact: yesterday was a jarring day for many people—not only at Des Moines Public Schools, but throughout this community and country,” Norris said.

“In 2023, our students, staff, and families warmly welcomed Dr. Roberts into our community, and he has served as an enthusiastic voice in support of our students’ academic success and the need to support public education. So yesterday came as a shock to all of us.”

Norris said the district had not been made aware of the deportation order issued in May 2024 and stressed that “everything the district has on file indicates that Dr. Roberts affirmed he was a citizen who was eligible to work in the school district.”

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She added that JG Consulting had been responsible for vetting Roberts through a third-party firm called Baker U. Banks, which she said failed to uncover any issues with citizenship or immigration status.

Norris outlined the timeline of the district’s hiring process, which began in December 2022 when Des Moines Public Schools contracted JG Consulting to conduct a superintendent search.

The board interviewed candidates between April and May 2023 before selecting Roberts, who began his role on July 1, 2023.

The Iowa Board of Educational Examiners issued Roberts his superintendent license on July 11, 2023, following the background check.

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Roberts had previously worked in education leadership roles in Pennsylvania, Missouri, Maryland, Washington, D.C., and New York.

Norris said Roberts has retained the Parish-Credanier law firm and that the district is cooperating with state authorities as the investigation moves forward. She also called for restraint from the public.

“Finally, we all need to cool down the rhetoric,” she said.

“We should promote true discourse and facts, not spread misinformation meant to divide us. Our elected officials need to behave like role models for our children. Enough with the name-calling and misinformation that is meant to divide us.”

The district said an interim superintendent will lead as the investigation continues, overseeing more than 35,000 students and staff.

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As of Friday, Roberts remains in federal custody pending further proceedings related to his immigration status and the weapons recovered from his vehicle.