ICE Detains Wisconsin Trooper at Madison Airport
Carel Aaron Van Der Merwe, a 21-year-old state trooper, was arrested by immigration agents and is being held pending removal proceedings.
Updated on Nov. 6, 2026 in Immigration
Immigration and Customs Enforcement detained Wisconsin State Trooper Carel Aaron Van Der Merwe on Thursday at Dane County Regional Airport in Madison while he waited to board a domestic flight. ICE says he entered the United States in March 2019 with permission to stay until September 2019 and overstayed that admission.
Why it matters
The case raises questions about how noncitizens with federal work authorization are treated in state law enforcement roles and how pending family asylum applications affect individual cases. It also highlights the immigration status issues that can arise for young people brought to the country as children.
Van Der Merwe is held at the Dodge County detention facility pending removal proceedings, and his attorney plans to seek release on bond, a process expected to take about two weeks. The outcome of that bond request has not been reported.
The players
Carel Aaron Van Der Merwe
A 21-year-old Wisconsin State Trooper who came to the United States from South Africa as a child and works out of the Tomah post.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)
The federal agency responsible for immigration enforcement, which arrested Van Der Merwe and says he overstayed his admission.
Wisconsin State Patrol
The state law enforcement agency that employs Van Der Merwe, whose hiring rules allow noncitizens with valid work authorization to serve as troopers.
The details
ICE agents arrested Van Der Merwe during a targeted enforcement operation at the Madison airport, and he was taken to the Dodge County detention facility. He is listed on his father's pending asylum application, and the family has waited seven years for an asylum interview.
Timeline
March 2019: Van Der Merwe entered the United States with permission to stay.
September 2019: His authorized stay period ended, according to ICE.
Thursday, November 5, 2026: ICE arrested him at Dane County Regional Airport.
2030: His federal work authorization card expires.
Legal Context
Wisconsin State Patrol hiring rules allow noncitizens with valid work authorization to serve as troopers, and this arrest tests those rules when a trooper's immigration status is challenged by federal authorities. The case sits at the intersection of state employment policy and federal immigration enforcement.
Residents of Wisconsin may see questions raised about how state agencies verify work authorization for employees. Families with pending asylum applications should be aware that a listed relative can face enforcement action while a case remains open.
The takeaway
The case shows that work authorization and pending asylum status do not fully protect a person from immigration enforcement, even while holding a public safety role. Readers following immigration policy should watch how the bond process unfolds.
What happens next
A bond hearing is expected to take place within about two weeks, which will determine whether Van Der Merwe is released while his removal proceedings continue.
Further reading
For more on related enforcement cases, see Immigration coverage.
