Wisconsin state patrol trooper detained by ICE released from custody

Wisconsin state patrol trooper Carel Aaron Van Der Merwe has been released after US immigration agents detained him at an airport while he was waiting to board a domestic flight. His case highlights tensions between federal immigration enforcement and work authorisation granted to people whose asylum claims are still pending.

Van Der Merwe, a South African national who came to the US aged 14, has waited seven years for his asylum case to be heard and held work authorisation valid until 2030. The Department of Homeland Security said he had overstayed a 2019 visa and that work authorisation does not grant legal status; his lawyers point to the authorisation issued by another DHS agency. His release is subject to electronic monitoring and regular immigration check-ins, and he must still defend his case before an immigration judge.