SERVE AND PROTECT?

Wisconsin State Trooper Released After ICE Detained Him

ICE goons grabbed a fellow law enforcement officer while off-duty at an airport.

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Wisconsin state trooper Carel Aaron Van Der Merwe has been released from ICE custody after he was detained while attempting to board a domestic flight Thursday. The South African native moved to the U.S. aged 14, with his lawyers stating that—while having waited seven years and counting for his asylum case to be addressed—he has a valid work permit up until 2030. The Department of Homeland Security has defended his detainment on the grounds of “work authorization or a pending application” not granting civic status, while Van Der Merwe’s lawyers judged: “We don’t think ICE even believes its own statement.” They claimed: “USCIS, an agency within DHS, authorized Carel to work. He used that authorization to serve and protect Wisconsin communities. ICE, another agency within DHS, then detained him. DHS owes this family more than silence.” Van Der Merwe graduated as a state patrol trooper in 2025, in a ceremony overseen by Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers. The officer is now subject to electronic monitoring, and will have to defend his immigration case in court.