ICE Detains Wisconsin Trooper With Valid Work Permit

Carel Aaron Van Der Merwe, a 21-year-old former Wisconsin state trooper from South Africa with a valid work permit and pending asylum case, was detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement at the Dane County Regional Airport in Madison. According to his attorneys, officers placed him in handcuffs despite his legal documentation while he waited for a domestic flight. DHS officials stated Van Der Merwe overstayed his admission permission which expired in September 2019 after legally entering as a child in March of that year.