A Wisconsin state trooper originally from South Africa was released from federal custody late Friday after being detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials at an airport Thursday while attempting to visit his parents. Carel Aaron Van Der Merwe was released under an order of supervision following intervention by Department of Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin, according to his attorney.
Van Der Merwe entered the United States in 2019 at age 14 and attended high school in New Mexico, according to attorney Mark Christopher. His parents applied for asylum, and Van Der Merwe was granted work authorization while that process proceeded. He later attended the New Mexico Military Institute and sought to serve in the U.S. military but was not permitted because of his immigration status. Van Der Merwe began working as a Wisconsin state trooper in July 2025 and remains authorized to work in the country, Christopher said.
The Department of Homeland Security said in a statement that Van Der Merwe had legal permission to remain in the United States until September 2019 but overstayed his admission. The agency characterized the overstay as defiance of federal immigration law.
Christopher said the case was egregious and that he could not identify any public benefit from detaining Van Der Merwe. The trooper will remain under an order of supervision, with specific conditions to be determined within two weeks, according to his attorney.