Immigration agents have arrested the superintendent of the largest school district in the US state of Iowa, accusing him of overstaying his student visa.
Superintendent of Des Moines Public Schools Ian Andre Roberts was arrested on Friday by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) on a fugitive warrant. He also faces a firearms offence.
Officials say he is a citizen of Guyana, and that his permit to work in the US expired in 2020. School district officials say they have not been told the circumstances of his arrest, and have called him an integral part of the school community.
This comes amid a wider US crackdown on immigration, as President Donald Trump seeks to deport all illegal migrants.
It is unclear whether Mr. Roberts has hired an attorney to speak on his behalf.
ICE records show that he is being jailed at an immigration detention centre near the city of Des Moines. The agency noted he was found in possession of a loaded handgun, $3,000 in cash and a fixed blade hunting knife.
Mr. Roberts had initially fled from police in a vehicle that had been provided to him by the school district. Officers later found his abandoned vehicle and located him with the help of Iowa State Patrol.
Prior to his current role, Mr. Roberts worked as an educator in four other states and earned degrees from prestigious universities including Georgetown and Harvard. Furthermore, he represented Guyana in track and field at the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games.
The local school board has expressed uncertainty over the details of his case, yet highlighted his significant contributions over the past two years in leading the district of around 30,000 students.
Local ICE Director Sam Olson stated that the arrest should be a wake-up call regarding public safety threats posed by individuals lacking legal status.
