Wisconsin state patrol trooper detained by ICE released pending monitoring
ICE released Wisconsin State Patrol trooper Carel Aaron Van Der Merwe after detaining him at an airport; he remains under electronic monitoring while his asylum case proceeds.
A Wisconsin State Patrol trooper was detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents at a Milwaukee airport on Thursday and released on Friday. The trooper, Carel Aaron Van Der Merwe, is a South African national who arrived in the United States at age 14 and has been awaiting a hearing on his asylum application for seven years, his law firm Christopher & De León said.
According to the firm, Van Der Merwe holds a work authorization valid through 2030, which allowed him to serve in Wisconsin law enforcement. The Department of Homeland Security said the detention was based on an overstay of a 2019 visa, stating that “work authorization or a pending application do not confer legal status in the US,” a spokesperson told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
Van Der Merwe’s attorneys disputed the DHS statement, noting that U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services had granted him work authorization. They announced his release, adding that he will be subject to electronic monitoring and regular check-ins with immigration officials.
“His release is welcome news. But our fight is not over. Carel will still have to defend his immigration case before an immigration judge,” the law firm wrote.
The agency has not commented on the reasons for his release. The firm advised other non-citizens with pending immigration matters to consult attorneys before traveling by air.
“Even if you have flown without problems before, do not assume the same will happen now,” the attorneys cautioned.