Wisconsin state patrol trooper detained by ICE released from custody
Carel Aaron Van Der Merwe immigrated to US at 14 and has been waiting seven years for asylum case to be heard A Wisconsin state patrol trooper, whom federal immigration agents detained on Thursday at an airport, has been released from their custody. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents approached Carel Aaron Van Der Merwe, a South African national, as he waited to board a domestic…
A Wisconsin state patrol trooper, Carel Aaron Van Der Merwe, detained by immigration authorities at an airport on Thursday, has been released from ICE custody. The South African national, who immigrated to the US at the age of 14, had been awaiting his asylum case to be heard for seven years. Van Der Merwe received work authorization, valid through 2030, allowing him to serve in Wisconsin's law enforcement.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) defended his detention, stating that he had overstayed a 2019 visa. However, his attorneys dispute this, emphasizing that a pending application grants work authorization. ICE did not provide immediate comment on his release. Van Der Merwe's law firm shared that their client would be released under electronic monitoring and regular check-ins with immigration authorities.
Despite his release, Van Der Merwe will still need to defend his immigration case before an immigration judge.
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