To those who know him, Superintendent Ian Roberts is an “integral part” of the school community and a former principal of the year. But to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), he is a “criminal alien” and a threat to public safety .

Those competing descriptions of Roberts, 54, emerged following his dramatic arrest by the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency on Friday morning, in a case that has stunned the Des Moines, Iowa, community for which he has worked for years.

Roberts, an educator with decades of experience who became Superintendent of Des Moines Public Schools in 2023, was detained by ICE in a “targeted enforcement operation” last week.

Read more : Even With Tons of Money, ICE Finds Obstacles in Hiring 10,000 New Agents

Immigration officials say Robert

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