Wisconsin State Trooper detained by ICE, currently held in Dodge County
JUNEAU, Wis. - A Wisconsin State Trooper was arrested by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Trooper Carel Aaron Van Der Merwe, 21, is currently being held in immigration detention in Dodge County.
What happened?
What they're saying:
According to Christopher & De Leon Law Office, ICE officers approached Van Der Merwe while he waited to board a domestic flight, and he explained that he had a work permit and a pending asylum application. According to Van Der Merwe, the officers said they did not care, placed him in handcuffs and shackles, and transported him to immigration detention in Dodge County.
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The Wisconsin Department of Transportation and its State Patrol Division told FOX6 that it is "aware of the situation involving Trooper Carel Van Der Merwe. The trooper has been employed with State Patrol since July 13, 2025."
The Wisconsin Department of Justice is not commenting on the situation.
Van Der Merwe lives in Onalaska and works out of Tomah.
Carel Aaron Van Der Merwe
Van Der Merwe's background
The backstory:
According to the law office representing him, Van Der Merwe came to the U.S. legally from South Africa as a child. According to his family, he and his parents followed the legal process and have waited seven years for an asylum interview. He is included on his father’s pending asylum application and holds federal work authorization with an expiration date of 2030.
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He graduated from the New Mexico Military Institute with a degree in criminal justice and became a Wisconsin State Trooper. Wisconsin State Patrol hiring requirements expressly permit noncitizens with valid work authorization to serve.
"Carel came here legally as a child. His family pursued asylum through the legal process. He holds federal work authorization and serves Wisconsin as a State Trooper," said his attorney, Marc Christopher of Christopher & De Leon Law Office. "Now the same government that authorized him to work has locked him up."
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Response from ICE
The other side:
According to the Department of Homeland Security, on Thursday, Nov. 5, ICE arrested Carel Aaron Van Der Merwe during a targeted enforcement operation at the Dane County Regional Airport in Madison. DHS says he entered the country in March 2019 with legal permission to stay until September 2019, but overstayed his admission. He will receive due process and remain in ICE custody pending removal proceedings.
DHS emphasized that a work authorization or a pending application do not confer legal status in the U.S.
DHS also said the following:
"Being in detention is a choice. We encourage all illegal aliens to take control of their departure with the CBP Home App. The United States is offering illegal aliens $3,000 and a free flight to self-deport now. We encourage every person here illegally to take advantage of this offer and reserve the chance to come back to the U.S. the right legal way to live the American dream. If not, you will be arrested and deported without a chance to return."
The Source: Information in this post comes chiefly from Christopher & De Leon Law Office, which is representing Trooper Carel Aaron Van Der Merwe, and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. WisDOT and its Division of State Patrol also provided some information.