Des Moines Public Schools student detained, deported by ICE following immigration check-in

An 18-year-old Des Moines Public Schools student was detained and deported by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, according to an immigrant rights group.

The student, whose name was not released, had attended a routine immigration check-in at the Federal Building in Des Moines on Sept. 30, according to advocates with the Iowa Migrant Movement for Justice, and was detained by ICE officials at the building briefly before being taken to the Hardin County Jail in Eldora.

After being transferred to the Iowa jail, the student was later sent to a detention center in Louisiana before being deported to a Central American country, according to the advocacy group. Iowa MMJ did not respond to further questions about the student’s immigration status or background; though the Des Moines Register reported his guardian was not able to speak with him for four days following his detainment, and then did not hear from him until Oct. 12, when he had been deported.

DMPS officials said in a statement shared with media that the school district was “aware that one of our high school students was detained by federal immigration authorities late last month.”

“This situation did not occur on or near school property,” the statement said. “We understand that news like this can cause concern among our students, families, and staff. Our schools are committed to being safe, welcoming places for every student with principals, teachers and staff who care about their well-being.”

The news of the DMPS student’s deportation comes after the school district has faced the high-profile arrest of former superintendent Ian Roberts, a native of Guyana who was also arrested and detained by ICE officials in late September. Since his arrest, information has been released through reporting and federal authorities showing Roberts was given an order of removal by an immigration judge in May 2024, and faced previous criminal charges.

The Des Moines school board is suing the consulting firm JG Consulting contracted for the search that led to Roberts’ hire. Additionally, Iowa Auditor Rob Sand has said his office has received requests to reaudit DMPS, as well as audit the Iowa Department of Education and state Board of Educational Examiners which granted Roberts’ an administrative license in 2023, in relation to the situation.

There have been several other ICE arrests in Iowa in recent weeks. According to reporting from the New York Times, immigration arrests in Iowa have increased by 276 percent since President Donald Trump took office in January, compared with rates in 2024.

Another immigrant rights group, Escucha Mi Voz, held demonstrations Monday in Iowa City, calling for workers’ protections against ICE raids, and in Davenport protesting the detainment of Jorge González, a worker at the Bread Garden Market in Iowa City who was detained by ICE agents Sept. 25.

“We will not stand by while ICE unlawfully targets our communities,” Escucha Mi Voz Iowa member Eva Castro, González’s mother-in-law, said in a statement. “Jorge complied with every condition of the asylum process and Alternatives to Detention program. We are going to court to make sure he walks free.”

This article was first published by Iowa Capital Dispatch.