The superintendent of the Des Moines school district was detained by federal immigration officials Friday morning.
According to the Iowa Department of Public Safety, the agency received a mutual aid request to assist U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to locate Roberts after he fled a traffic stop initiated by ICE agents.
On the Des Moines Public Schools’ Facebook page, school board chair Jackie Norris said the district has not received confirmed information about the reason for Roberts' detention or what the next steps will be.
She added that the district’s priority is to provide a safe, secure, and outstanding education for all students and to support our students, families, and employees.
An ICE detainee listing shows Roberts is being held at the Pottawattamie County Jail. However, the jail told Iowa Public Radio that Roberts is not currently in their custody.
A district biography states that Roberts was born to immigrant parents from Guyana and raised in Brooklyn, New York.
Associate superintendent Matt Smith has been appointed interim superintendent.
