Wisconsin state trooper detained by ICE at an airport is released
DHS says Carel Van Der Merwe overstayed a 2019 visa, but his lawyers say another federal agency authorized him to work.
Carel Aaron Van Der Merwe, a 21-year-old Wisconsin State Patrol trooper from South Africa, was detained by federal immigration agents on Thursday, Nov. 5. According to his law firm, agents approached him at an airport as he waited to board a domestic flight. He was released on Friday, Nov. 6, from the Dodge Jail, according to his attorney, Marc Christopher.
Christopher said he is under an order of supervision that requires check-ins with ICE, and that electronic monitoring is likely. His law firm said he will face electronic monitoring and regular check-ins, and must still defend his case before an . The Department of said he had overstayed a 2019 visa and that a work permit or a pending application does not give legal status.
His lawyers reject that, saying US Citizenship and Immigration Services, another DHS agency, authorized him to work. They say he came to the US at 14 and has waited seven years for his case to be heard. The Guardian reports the agency did not immediately respond to a question about what prompted the release.
- valid through 2030his work authorization, as The Guardian reports itThe Guardian
- seven yearswait for his asylum case to be heard, per his attorneysThe Guardian
Three sides of the story
10 news outlets reported this · Little coverage from conservative outlets
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Liberal6 outlets
A trooper with work permission detained, then released
The Guardian opens with the release and then sets DHS's defense against the lawyers' rebuttal. DHS says he overstayed a 2019 visa, while his law firm answers that "authorized him to work" and adds, "We don't think ICE even believes its own statement." The Guardian notes the release comes with electronic monitoring and check-ins, and that he still faces an immigration judge.
It places the case within the administration's mass agenda at airports and recalls Trump's order on resettling Afrikaner refugees. It closes with the firm's advice to noncitizens before flying. Yahoo News leads with the release after a "dramatic experience" and relays details from attorney Marc Christopher: the order of supervision, likely electronic monitoring, potentially through a phone app, and a ride awaited from his supervisor.
Christopher says he was "flabbergasted" by the detention and "I almost can't even believe that they would be so brazen."
Center4 outlets
A 21-year-old trooper freed a day after arrest
The Hill reports that the 21-year-old trooper, originally from South Africa, was released Friday, a day after ICE agents detained him. His lawyer, Marc Christopher, called it a "dramatic experience" and confirmed he was traveling to visit family when the arrest happened.
Conservative0 outlets
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For noncitizens with unresolved immigration paperwork, Van Der Merwe's law firm, Christopher & De León, advises consulting an immigration attorney before traveling by air. The firm says flying without problems before is no guarantee, and tells travelers not to "assume the same will happen now." The Guardian reports this advice from the firm.
All sources: 15 articles from 10 outlets
Liberal (8)
- ABC News: Democratic lawmakers want answers on 8-year-old Haitian boy taken into ICE custody
- ABC News: 8-year-old Haitian boy placed in federal custody alone after ICE check-in
- La Opinión: Niño haitiano de 8 años está bajo custodia tras cita con ICE en San Diego
- NBC News: ICE takes 8-year-old boy into custody during San Diego check-in
- The Guardian: Haitian boy, 8, detained by ICE is now unaccounted for, lawmaker says
- The Guardian: Wisconsin state patrol trooper detained by ICE released from custody
- Yahoo News: Wisconsin trooper released from ICE custody after 'dramatic experience'
Center (7)
- Border Report: Family unsure where 8-year-old Haitian boy is being held after ICE detention
- Border Report: Wisconsin state trooper released from ICE custody after 'dramatic' arrest
- NewsNation: 'Incomprehensible': Lawmaker blasts ICE over 8-year-old boy
- NewsNation: Wisconsin state trooper released from ICE custody
- The Hill: Family unsure where 8-year-old Haitian boy is being held after ICE detention
- The Hill: Wisconsin state trooper released from ICE custody after 'dramatic' arrest
- UPI: Wisconsin state trooper released after ICE arrest
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