ICE transfers truck driver to Oregon jail to stand trial for fatal highway crash

Federal immigration agents handed Rajinder Kumar back to Oregon state authorities on Monday, placing him in county jail to face felony charges. The transfer resolves a months-long standoff between local prosecutors and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement over who should hold the 32-year-old driver.

Kumar is accused of causing a collision on U.S. Highway 20 in November 2025 that killed two people. He faces two counts of first-degree manslaughter and three counts of recklessly endangering another person in Deschutes County. Federal officials stated that Kumar will remain in state custody until his criminal trial concludes.

The dispute began after a Deschutes County grand jury indicted Kumar. Although he pleaded not guilty in state court, a conflict emerged regarding his release. ICE lodged a detainer request asking local corrections to notify federal agents before letting him go. County officials declined to honor the request on April 2, releasing Kumar under state sanctuary policies.

Twenty days later, on April 22, ICE agents in Seattle arrested Kumar to address his immigration status. They held him at the Northwest ICE Processing Center in Tacoma, Washington, while initiating removal proceedings. However, federal officials decided to return him to Oregon so he could answer for the crash before any deportation order took effect.

Julio Hernandez, acting Field Office Director for ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations Seattle, said the coordinated action ensures Kumar does not evade justice. Hernandez noted that two Americans lost their lives and their families deserve accountability. He added that returning Kumar to state custody supports the victims and protects the public.

The crash occurred on Nov. 24, 2025. Kumar allegedly jackknifed his commercial tractor-trailer, blocking both lanes of traffic. The vehicle of William Micah Carter, 25, and his wife, Jennifer Lynn Lower, 24, struck the semi. Both passengers died at the scene. The couple had been married for only 16 days.

Court and immigration records show Kumar entered the United States near Lukeville, Arizona, on Nov. 28, 2022. U.S. Border Patrol apprehended him at the time. He was released into the country under the Biden administration while removal proceedings were pending. During that period, he received federal work authorization and later obtained a commercial driver's license from California.

Earlier this month, a video released by ICE showed Elizabeth Carter, the mother of William Carter, speaking to Kumar through the window of an ICE vehicle. Carter told Kumar that she prayed for him and his family. She acknowledged that he likely did not wake up that morning planning to kill two newlyweds. The interaction took place just before federal agents prepared to transfer him to Oregon.

Department of Homeland Security officials confirmed that federal deportation proceedings are currently paused. This pause allows Oregon state prosecutors to pursue the criminal charges. Trial proceedings are pending in Deschutes County Circuit Court.