By Erik De La Garza ,
2 hours ago
An officer with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security stands as people protest against U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) outside the U.S. immigration court in, New York City, U.S., July 28, 2025. REUTERS/Shannon Stapleton
A Wisconsin state trooper says President Donald Trump’s immigration agents put him in handcuffs and shackles as he waited to board a domestic flight Thursday, even after he told them he had a work permit and a pending asylum application, ABC News reported .
On Friday, Rep. Derrick Van Orden (R-WI) said Van Der Merwe would be released “immediately” after the congressman called Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin, WKBT reported .
“According to Van Der Merwe, the officers said they did not care, placed him in handcuffs and shackles, and transported him to immigration detention in Dodge County,” the law firm Christopher & De León said.
Carel Aaron Van Der Merwe, 21, had faced deportation to South Africa, according to his attorney, Marc Christopher. His lawyers say he came to the U.S. legally as a child, has waited seven years for an asylum interview and has a work permit valid through 2030.
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