Overview
- Federal agents detained Trooper Carel Aaron Van Der Merwe while he waited to board a domestic flight on Thursday and transported him to a Dodge County detention facility.
- His attorneys say he showed a pending asylum application and a federal work permit valid through 2030 but was handcuffed and shackled before transfer to ICE custody.
- DHS said Van Der Merwe entered the U.S. in March 2019 and overstayed an authorized admission that expired in September 2019 and that work authorization does not confer lawful status.
- Reports say he was released from custody about 24 hours later after local reporting and intervention that included Rep. Derrick Van Orden and a call with DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin, and he is now under ICE supervision with regular check-ins and electronic monitoring.
- Lawyers are pursuing release on bond and congressional oversight while the case underscores how long asylum backlogs, USCIS work permits, and ICE enforcement across DHS can produce inconsistent outcomes for noncitizens in public roles.