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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."
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."
Seeking further information
The other side:
FOX6 News reached out to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement for comment on the situation but did not immediately hear back.
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The Source: Information in this post comes chiefly from Christopher & De Leon Law Office, which is representing Trooper Carel Aaron Van Der Merwe. WisDOT and its Division of State Patrol also provided some information.