A Wisconsin state trooper detained by immigration agents at a Madison airport on Thursday was released from jail on Friday under an order of supervision, his attorney said. His removal case is still open, and he will have to make his case before an immigration judge.
Carel Aaron Van Der Merwe, 21, was stopped by ICE agents on Nov. 5 at Dane County Regional Airport, just after he went through security. Homeland Security said he entered in March 2019 with permission to stay until September 2019 and stayed past that date. His attorney said the family came legally from South Africa when he was 14, applied for asylum in 2019, and that the case is still waiting for a decision. He holds federal work authorization that runs to 2030.
Full story: https://zarknews.com/wisconsin-trooper-detained-ice-madison-airport-released/
His attorney said he will now have to make his case before an immigration judge. The Department of Homeland Security described the arrest as a targeted enforcement operation carried out at the airport on Thursday.
Sources: Zark News reporting, DHS and attorney statements – Nov 7, 2026 – Zark News illustration
