Wisconsin State Trooper Detained by ICE While Awaiting Flight

A Wisconsin state trooper, Aaron Van Der Merwe, 21, was detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement on Thursday while waiting to board a domestic flight at Dane County Regional Airport in Madison, according to a statement from law firm Christopher & De León. Van Der Merwe told ICE officers that he holds a valid work permit and has a pending asylum application. The law firm said officers placed him in handcuffs and shackles and transferred him to an immigration detention center in Dodge County. ICE records indicate he is currently held at a facility in Juneau, Wisconsin.

The firm noted that Van Der Merwe entered the United States legally from South Africa as a child and has been awaiting an asylum interview for seven years. His work permit is set to expire in 2030. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said the arrest occurred during a targeted enforcement operation and that his legal entry was recorded in March 2019, with permission to stay only until September 2019.

"In defiance of our nation’s laws, he overstayed his admission. This individual will receive due process and remain in ICE custody pending removal proceedings," a DHS spokesperson said. "DHS reversed the policy that allowed individuals in the country illegally to travel domestically. Under President Trump, DHS will no longer tolerate this. This administration is working diligently to ensure that individuals in the country illegally can no longer fly unless it is out of the country to self-deport," the spokesperson added.

Attorney Marc Christopher said he will seek his client's release on bond.

"Putting a Wisconsin State Trooper behind bars while his asylum case sits unresolved does not make our communities safer. Wisconsin’s congressional delegation should demand his release and demand answers," Christopher said.