Guyana-born U.S. public schools superintendent license revoked, remains in ICE custody

In a significant development, Dr. Ian Roberts, the former superintendent of Des Moines Public Schools, has had his professional license revoked by the Iowa Department of Education. This decision follows his detention by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) on allegations of being in the country illegally. The Bureau of Educational Examiners confirmed the revocation on Monday, effectively ending his tenure as superintendent. Dr. Roberts, who was born in Guyana and raised in Brooklyn, New York, had been placed on administrative leave by the Des Moines Public School board just one day prior. ICE officials claim that Roberts entered the U.S. on a student visa in 1999 but was subject to a final removal order issued in 2024. The case has sparked widespread attention, raising questions about immigration policies and their impact on public sector professionals.