Wisconsin State Patrol Trooper Arrested by ICE Amidst Pending Asylum Claim
ICE agents detain 21-year-old Wisconsin State Patrol trooper at Dane County Regional Airport while he awaits a pending federal asylum case.
POLICY WIRE — Madison, Wisconsin — — Federal immigration authorities took a member of the Wisconsin State Patrol into custody at a local airport on Thursday morning.
According to a statement released by the Christopher & De Leon Law Office, 21-year-old Carel Aaron Van Der Merwe was detained at Dane County Regional Airport while preparing to board a domestic flight.
Van Der Merwe, a native of South Africa, moved to the United States legally as a child. He currently holds valid federal work authorization and has an active asylum claim in the system.
A spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security acknowledged the arrest, characterizing the move as “a targeted enforcement operation.”
Legal counsel for the trooper confirmed that the detention is linked directly to his pending request for asylum. The young officer is currently held in federal immigration detention.
Reporting by Policy-Wire (PW)
