Evidence from credible sources supports the statement as accurate. Learn more in Methodology.
ICE arrest records, court filings, or DHS/ICE statements confirm the arrest of Ian Andre Roberts, the recovered items, his employment as Superintendent, and his immigration and criminal history as described.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the Department of Homeland Security issued official releases on Sept. 26–27, 2025 stating that ICE Des Moines arrested Ian Andre Roberts, the superintendent of Des Moines Public Schools, describing him as a “criminal illegal alien from Guyana” in the country without work authorization and subject to a final order of removal issued by an immigration judge in May 2024. Those releases state that at the time of arrest he was in possession of a loaded handgun, $3,000 in cash, and a fixed-blade hunting knife, and that he had existing weapon-possession charges dating to 2020, with DHS later detailing multiple weapons charges and a 2022 firearms conviction. Major outlets including the Des Moines Register, the Associated Press, and The New York Times independently reported that Roberts, then serving as superintendent, was arrested by ICE and relayed ICE/DHS claims about his immigration status, prior weapons case, and the handgun, cash, and knife found in his vehicle, without presenting contrary factual evidence. While much of the information comes from law-enforcement sources that have an incentive to emphasize criminality, multiple independent news organizations corroborate the core details of the arrest, his role as superintendent, the final removal order, and prior weapons charges. Verdict: True, because credible primary (ICE/DHS) and independent secondary sources consistently support all major elements of the statement, with no evidence contradicting the described arrest circumstances, immigration status, or prior weapons charges.