An Iowa school superintendent detained by ICE was previously cited for a gun charge in Pennsylvania

The Des Moines, Iowa, school superintendent detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement last week, was cited in Pennsylvania in 2022 for having a loaded firearm in a vehicle, court documents show.

Ian Roberts was serving as superintendent of Millcreek Township School District at the time, and paid a $100 fine plus court costs for the citation. Roberts was detained by ICE on Sept. 26, because the agency said he had an active deportation order and was not authorized to work in the United States. Roberts is a former Olympic athlete from Guyana.

It is unclear how Roberts may have slipped through school vetting processes — not just in Iowa, but also in Erie County, Pennsylvania, where he served as Millcreek Township’s superintendent from 2020 to 2023.

Alfredo Parrish, a lawyer representing Roberts, said in a brief phone call Sunday that he was poring through court documents related to the citation. He declined to comment on how or if the citation may be related to Roberts’ detention.

“I have not had an opportunity to review the entire documents,” he said. “Often it’s good to look at everything to see how things ended up being resolved — I just don’t know at this point.”

Parrish said he spoke with Roberts earlier Sunday and the superintendent’s “spirit was good and he sounded strong.” Parrish called Roberts “a blessing to the educational community” in Des Moines.

Roberts came to the U.S. on a student visa in 1999, a news release from ICE said. In May 2024, an immigration judge gave him “a final order of removal.”

According to ICE, officers approached Roberts in Iowa while he was in his vehicle on Sept. 26, but he drove away. He was later arrested with assistance from state police, the release said.

ICE officials said that Roberts had a loaded handgun, $3,000, and a hunting knife. Iowa does not require permits to carry handguns, according to the National Rifle Association, and even has special “educator permits” that allow teachers to carry guns in schools.

But while noncitizens who are legally in the U.S. are allowed to purchase firearms, according to the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), there are several exceptions to the rule. Once a person has “illegal” status — even if they overstayed a visa or temporary status — they are barred from possessing a firearm under U.S. law, according to the Washington-based National Security Law Firm.

ICE said in its news release that the investigation was being turned over to the ATF.

After the 2022 incident in Erie, Roberts said he was a seasoned hunter who was out deer hunting when a Pennsylvania Game Commission officer stopped him to ask questions about a nearby gun range that had been the site of safety violations, GoErie reported at the time.

Roberts said that during their conversation, he laid his hunting rifle on the backseat of his vehicle, but was then cited.

At the time, Roberts, who is Black, said on social media that he wondered if race played a role in him receiving the citation.

“Although I may not appear to be the ‘type of man’ who would enjoy deer season in Pennsylvania, in fact, I am and have been hunting for more than 20 years,” Roberts said in the news report.

Roberts’ ICE arrest has led to a mix of reactions from educators and other colleagues.

Des Moines Public School Board chair Jackie Norris said the school had been unaware of “any citizenship or immigration issues that Dr. Roberts may have been facing,” the New York Times reported. “The accusations ICE has made against Dr. Roberts are very serious, and we are taking them very seriously.”

Norris said Roberts listed himself as a U.S. citizen on his application for a superintendent license.