Former Des Moines superintendent no longer being held at Woodbury County Jail

SIOUX CITY — The jail roster for the Woodbury County Law Enforcement Center no longer lists former Des Moines Superintendent Ian Roberts as a detainee.

Roberts, who was detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) last week, was booked in the Woodbury County jail at 5:14 p.m. Friday, Sept. 26. Since that time, there have been two protests at the facility and barricades have been placed in front of the building. Officers were seen on the roof with a rifle scope on Saturday.

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In a short release Thursday morning, Woodbury County Sheriff Chad Sheehan said "Ian Roberts is no longer in custody of the Woodbury County Sheriff's Office Jail."

"Mr. Robert's was taken into custody by the United States Department of Justice on a Federal warrant for his arrest. All inquiries shall be directed to the United States Department of Justice or the United States Attorney's Office," the statement reads.

Despite Roberts' name no longer appearing on the Woodbury County jail roster, which is updated daily, the website for ICE listed him as being in Woodbury County (as of 11:26 a.m., Thursday). By noon, Roberts' name could no longer be found in an ICE search.

ICE said it targeted Roberts, who is from the South American country of Guyana, because he was "subject to a final removal order issued in 2024," according to reporting from the Associated Press. ICE initiated a traffic stop while Roberts was driving a vehicle issued by Des Moines Public Schools. Officers say he fled and that they found his vehicle abandoned near a wooded area. Roberts, who has described himself as a longtime gun owner and hunter, was in possession of a loaded handgun, $3,000 in cash and a fixed-blade hunting knife when arrested, ICE said.

Most recently, the Associated Press has reported that Roberts, who resigned his position on Tuesday as he challenges his deportation, falsely claimed a doctoral degree when applying for the job two years ago but was hired even after the school board learned about the misrepresentation. Per AP: Roberts claimed in his 2023 application that he received a doctorate in urban educational leadership from Morgan State University in 2007. Although Roberts was enrolled in that doctorate program from 2002 to 2007, the school’s public relations office confirmed in an email that he didn’t receive that degree.

According to Roberts' attorney, Alfredo Parrish, Roberts was under the impression from a former attorney that his immigration case had been resolved. Parrish has said his firm has filed a request for a stay of Roberts’ deportation with the federal immigration court in Omaha.

The arrest of the longtime educator has been the subject of national and international coverage. Roberts is one of the highest profile civilians to be detained by the federal agency since President Donald Trump retook the White House in January.