ICE Detains Wisconsin State Trooper Over Immigration Status

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detained Carel Aaron Van Der Merwe, a 21-year-old Wisconsin State Trooper, on November 5, 2026, at Dane County Regional Airport in Madison. Van Der Merwe, a South African national, was arrested in handcuffs and shackles while waiting for a domestic flight to New Mexico as part of a targeted enforcement operation.

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) justified the arrest by stating Van Der Merwe overstayed his legal admission in September 2019. DHS officials asserted that while the trooper holds federal work authorization valid through 2030, such authorization does not confer legal status in the United States.

Van Der Merwe's attorney, Marc Christopher, challenged the detention, stating the trooper entered the U.S. legally as a child and is part of a pending asylum application. Christopher described the arrest as "inhumane and despicable," noting that the Wisconsin State Patrol allows noncitizens with valid work permits to serve as troopers.

Following intervention by U.S. Representative Derrick Van Orden, who contacted DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin, Van Der Merwe was released from a Dodge County detention facility on November 6. He remains in removal proceedings and is subject to an order of supervision that includes electronic monitoring and regular meetings with ICE officials.