Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers on Friday detained the superintendent of Iowa’s Des Moines Public Schools, who they say is living in the U.S. without authorization.

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS), ICE’s parent agency, confirmed the arrest of Superintendent Ian Roberts, 54, in a Friday press release, stating that he received “a final order of removal by an immigration judge” in May 2024.

Roberts has served as superintendent of Des Moines Public Schools, Iowa’s largest school district, since 2023. In his role, he oversaw a district of more than 31,000 students across 64 school buildings, according to a release announcing his appointment.

According to DHS, Roberts came to the U.S. on a student visa in 1999. It alleged that Roberts “tried to evade arrest” and was in possession of a loaded handgun Friday.

“It is a violation of federal law for those in the U.S. without legal status to possess a firearm and ammunition,” the release states. 

The agency added that Roberts had an existing weapons possession charge from February 2020.

School officials alerted the community of his detainment Friday afternoon. In a message posted to Facebook, Des Moines Public Schools board chair Jackie Norris wrote that Roberts had been detained by ICE Friday morning, promising to “provide updates.”

“We stand firm with our community, many of whom are feeling sad, outraged, and helpless,” said Matt Smith, who was appointed interim superintendent for Des Moines Public Schools following Roberts’s arrest.

He added that school officials were feeling “devastated by the news of his detention.”

Roberts previously competed in the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games in track and field for Guyana. Before coming to Des Moines, he served in multiple educator roles, including as a school superintendent in Pennsylvania.