Des Moines Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Ian Roberts was arrested Friday by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) under a final order of removal, in a case that is sparking national attention and raising questions about how school districts verify employment eligibility.

ICE said Roberts attempted to flee when agents tried to arrest him, abandoning his car before being located with assistance from Iowa State Patrol. According to ICE, Roberts was carrying a loaded handgun, a fixed-blade knife, and $3,000 in cash at the time of his arrest. The agency says he has a prior firearms violation in Pennsylvania — a hunting rifle incident that he disclosed at every district he worked for — and has been living and working in the U.S. without authorization since his student visa expired

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