The former superintendent of an Iowa school has a rap sheet older than his former students, and included weapons charges, drug trafficking, and illegal immigration, according to new information released by the Department of Homeland Security.
Townhall's Katie Pavlich posted on X.
"Holy crap. DHS just released more info on the Iowa school superintendent and illegal alien Ian Andre Roberts. He has a very long, violent criminal record, combined with immigration fraud. He also voted in elections."
🚨Holy crap. DHS just released more info on the Iowa school superintendent and illegal alien Ian Andre Roberts. He has a very long, violent criminal record, combined with immigration fraud. He also voted in elections. pic.twitter.com/lZDeRJKmnw
— Katie Pavlich (@KatiePavlich) October 3, 2025
Documents released by the Department of Homeland Security say that the educator has a lengthy criminal history.
- July 3, 1996: charges for criminal possession of narcotics with intent to sell, criminal possession of narcotics, criminal possession of a forgery instrument and forged instrument in New York.
- Nov. 13, 1998: A charge for third-degree unauthoriezd use of a vehicle in Queens, New York, which was dismissed July 1999.
- Nov. 1, 2012: A conviction for reckless driving, unsafe operation and speeding in Maryland.
- Feb. 3, 2020: Charges for second-degree criminal possession of a weapon (having a loaded firearm outside his home or business); and forth-degree weapon charges. A document from Feb. 4, 2020, indicates that the second-degree criminal possession charge was inchoate.
- Jan. 20, 2022: Commonwealth of Pennsylvania convicted Roberts of unlawful possession of a loaded firearm.
- Sept 26, 2025: Roberts was arrested with a Glock 9mm pistol and a fixed-blade hunting knife in his possession. He also had $3,000 in cash.
- Oct. 2, 2025: Roberts criminal charged with being an illegal alien in possession of firearms.
It’s unclear how a school district didn’t catch these charges on a background check.
Roberts initially ran away from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials, abandoned his vehicle, and hid in a brushy area about 200 meters away before he was arrested on Sept 26, 2025.
Immigrations officials found the man with help from Iowa State Patrol officers. At the time of arrest, a loaded handgun, hunting knife and $3,000 cash were found in his vehicle. On Oct. 2, he was charged with being an illegal alien in possession of firearms.
Roberts’ first entered the U.S in 1994 on a B-2 nonimmigrant visa classified as a visitor for pleasure.
Five years later, he entered the U.S. through California’s San Francisco International Airport as an F-1 student visa holder. That visa lasted through 2001.
He filed a green card application in 2001, which was rejected in 2003.
In 2018 - 17 years later - he filed another green card application that was rejected. He filed for employment authorization documents that were approved with an expiration date of 2019. In 2018, he filed a fourth green card application that was rejected in 2020.
He filed another application for employment authorization, which was approved. In October 2020, USCIS issued a notice to appear before an immigration judge. Four years later on May 22, 2024, a Dallas immigration judge ordered Roberts to be deported. Roberts asked to reopen a case but the judge denied it.
Immigrations officials arrested Roberts on Sept 26, 2025.
“Ian Andre Roberts, a criminal illegal alien with multiple weapons charges and a drug trafficking charge, should have never been able to work around children,” said Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin. “When ICE officers arrested this Superintendent, he was in possession of an illegal handgun, a hunting knife, and nearly $3,000 in cash. This criminal illegal alien is now in U.S. Marshals custody and facing charges for being an illegal alien in possession of a firearms. Under Secretary Noem, ICE will continue to arrest the worst of the worst and put the safety of America’s children FIRST.”
Townhall columnist Dustin Grage posted on X that the school district now blames the search firm that hired Roberts.
🚨 BREAKING: The Des Moines Public School Board is now deflecting all responsibility for hiring former Superintendent Ian Roberts by taking legal action against the search firm that assisted in the hiring, JG Consulting.
— Dustin Grage (@GrageDustin) October 3, 2025
Roberts passed background checks conducted by both JG… pic.twitter.com/RPdqgRFPp0
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