ICE arrests Wisconsin state patrol trooper with pending asylum case at airport, attorneys say
ICE agents arrested a 21-year-old Wisconsin state patrol trooper, Carel Aaron Van Der Merwe, at an airport despite his pending asylum application and valid work authorization. His attorneys have condemned the arrest as inhumane, while DHS maintains that his status as an overstayed visa holder makes him subject to removal proceedings.
Why it matters
The case highlights the complexities of immigration enforcement and the legal precariousness of individuals with pending asylum status who are otherwise integrated into the workforce.
ICE detained a Wisconsin state patrol trooper with a pending asylum case at an airport, his attorneys said Thursday. Carel Aaron Van Der Merwe, an asylum-seeker from South Africa who has a valid federal work authorization, was detained by ICE as he waited to board a domestic flight, according to a statement from the Christopher & De Leon Law Office released Thursday and obtained by NBC affiliate WEAU. He is currently being held at a detention facility in Juneau, Wisconsin, ICE records show.
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