The superintendent of the largest public school district in Iowa was arrested Friday by Immigration and Customs Enforcement, which alleged he was in the country illegally and without a work authorization.

Ian Andre Roberts, a Guyana national and superintendent of Des Moines Public Schools, was arrested in an operation on Friday, ICE announced in a news release.

Roberts has helmed the district since July 2023, according to its website. It described him as a "career educator" with over two decades of experience as a teacher, school administrator and executive leader. He also previously served as superintendent in two different districts in Pennsylvania and Missouri.

Roberts worked as superintendent in Iowa despite not having legal status and despite having a “final order of removal and

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