A Wisconsin state trooper, identified as Carel Aaron Van Der Merwe, 21, has been detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and is facing deportation to his native South Africa, according to his legal representation.
Van Der Merwe was arrested on Thursday while waiting to board a domestic flight at Dane County Regional Airport in Madison, Wisconsin, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) confirmed. His attorneys stated that he informed ICE officers of his valid work permit and pending asylum application, but they proceeded with his detention.
According to a statement from the law firm Christopher & De León, Van Der Merwe arrived in the U.S. legally from South Africa as a child and has been awaiting an asylum interview for seven years. His work permit is valid until 2030, his lawyer said.
DHS stated that Van Der Merwe entered the U.S. legally in March 2019 with permission to stay only until September of that same year, and has since overstayed his visa. An ICE database indicates he is currently being held at a detention facility in Juneau, Wisconsin.
A DHS spokesperson characterized Van Der Merwe as an "illegal alien" and stated, "This administration is working diligently to ensure that aliens in our country illegally can no longer fly unless it is out of our country to self-deport." The spokesperson added that Van Der Merwe "will receive due process and remain in ICE custody pending removal proceedings."
Van Der Merwe's attorney, Marc Christopher, called the detention "inhumane and despicable" and asserted that jailing a state trooper whose asylum case is unresolved does not enhance community safety. Christopher indicated he would seek his client's release on bond and urged Wisconsin's congressional delegation to demand answers and his client's release.