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Arrest detainer lodged against Indian-origin truck driver for killing newlyweds
Homeland Security records show Kumar, a national of India, crossed the U.S.–Mexico border near Lukeville, Arizona, on Nov. 28, 2022.
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Anushka Pathak - Tue, 02, Dec 2025
- 11:05 EST
- 28
Indian-origin semi-truck driver Rajinder Kumar / Courtesy: Department of Homeland Security (DHS)
An Indian-origin truck driver is facing an arrest detainer lodged by the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) for causing a fatal crash that killed a newlywed couple in Oregon.
According to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Rajinder Kumar was charged with criminally negligent homicide after he jackknifed his semi-truck, blocking both lanes on a highway, and crashed with a Subaru Outback, killing 25-year-old William Micah Carter of Springfield and 24-year-old Jennifer Lynn Lower of John Day.
Kumar was uninjured and arrested at the scene. Oregon State Police said preliminary findings point to possible weather-related factors and driver inattention, though a full report and toxicology results are still pending.
Also Read: 20 American states press Trump admin to drop rule curbing immigrant truck drivers
Federal authorities confirmed that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has placed a detainer on Kumar, currently housed at the Deschutes County jail, citing his status as a non-citizen who entered the United States without inspection.
“Since Oregon is a sanctuary state, ICE will make all necessary efforts to bring Kumar into custody should he be released from custody,” DHS said in a statement.
Homeland Security records show Kumar, a national of India, crossed the U.S.–Mexico border near Lukeville, Arizona, on Nov. 28, 2022, and was paroled into the country pending immigration proceedings. He later obtained a commercial driver’s license in California and received work authorization in 2023.
In a statement, DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said, "Rajinder Kumar, a criminal illegal alien from India, was released into our country under the Biden administration and issued a commercial driver’s license by Gavin Newsom’s Department of Motor Vehicles. How many more senseless tragedies must take place before sanctuary politicians stop allowing illegal aliens to dangerously operate semi-trucks on America’s roads?"
The case mirrors several recent incidents involving commercial drivers and immigration status. In Oct. 2025, Jashanpreet Singh was accused in a California freeway crash that killed three. ICE also issued detainers in Aug. 2025 for Harjinder Singh in a Florida Turnpike crash that killed three and for Partap Singh following a California collision that injured a child.
The American Trucking Industry has been gutted by unregulated immigration over the past five years. These “California ” drivers are part of an eco system that puts profit over safety. That puts greed before your family.
— American Truckers (@atutruckers) August 16, 2025
A system that not only doesn’t put Americans first but… pic.twitter.com/HZBXWg0eck
Public reaction online has ranged from criticism of border policies to concerns over commercial vehicle safety. The American Trucking Industry wrote in an Aug. 16 post that it had "been gutted by unregulated immigration over the past five years."
As investigations continue, the crash adds momentum to ongoing debates over commercial licensing standards, federal detainer practices, and highway safety oversight.
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