Marc E. Christopher
Role at the time: Immigration attorney representing Van Der Merwe, speaking to WPR
Condemned
Response to this claim
Van Der Merwe came to the United States lawfully, is included on his father's pending asylum application, and holds federal work authorization that expires in 2030.
“I don’t know that anybody would be able to logically explain why they would want to detain a person like this”
Open source (opens in a new tab)WPR: Wisconsin State Trooper detained by ICEArticle text, as updated on November 6, 2026
Why we used this label
The reference point is ICE's detention of Wisconsin State Trooper Carel Van Der Merwe at Dane County Regional Airport on November 5, 2026. Christopher, who represents the trooper, calls the detention unconscionable and says no one could logically explain it, which condemns the arrest.