Truck driver returned to Oregon to face manslaughter charges

ICE returned Rajinder Kumar, a 32-year-old Indian national and commercial truck driver, to Oregon state custody this month. The transfer occurred at the passenger window of a federal vehicle as agents prepared to hand him over for criminal prosecution. Kumar faces two counts of first-degree manslaughter and three counts of recklessly endangering another person in Deschutes County. The charges stem from a highway crash that killed two newlyweds in November 2025. During the handoff, Elizabeth Carter, the mother of one victim, spoke to Kumar through the window. She told him she prays for his family and acknowledged the difficulty of the situation. Carter stated that she knew Kumar did not wake up that morning planning to kill two newlyweds. She also noted that his family is going through an important time. The interaction was captured on video by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Victims of Immigrant Crime Engagement office.

The fatal collision occurred on November 24, 2025, on U.S. Highway 20 in Oregon. Kumar allegedly jackknifed his tractor-trailer, blocking both lanes of traffic. The couple’s Subaru Outback struck the semi, killing William Micah Carter, 25, and his wife Jennifer Lynn Lower, 24, at the scene. The couple had been married for 16 days. A Deschutes County grand jury subsequently indicted Kumar. He pleaded not guilty in state court. However, a jurisdictional conflict arose between federal and local authorities regarding his custody after his initial release.

Records indicate Kumar entered the United States unlawfully near Lukeville, Arizona, on November 28, 2022. U.S. Border Patrol apprehended him at that time. He was released into the country under the Biden administration while removal proceedings were pending. During this period, he received federal work authorization. He later obtained a commercial driver's license issued by the State of California. Following his indictment in Oregon, ICE lodged an immigration detainer. This request asked Deschutes County Jail to notify federal agents before releasing him. County corrections officials declined to honor the federal hold on April 2. They released Kumar into the community under Oregon’s state sanctuary policies.

ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations agents in Seattle located and arrested Kumar on April 22. They detained him at the Northwest ICE Processing Center in Tacoma, Washington, to advance federal removal proceedings. ICE ERO Seattle announced the return to state custody to ensure Kumar faces a local trial on felony manslaughter charges before any deportation orders are executed. Acting Field Office Director Julio Hernandez said two Americans lost their lives and their families deserve accountability. Hernandez stated that ICE worked closely with law enforcement partners to ensure Kumar answers for the serious charges against him. He added that this coordinated action protects the public and supports the victims' families.

Department of Homeland Security officials confirmed that federal deportation proceedings are paused. This pause allows Oregon state prosecutors to pursue the criminal charges against Kumar. Criminal trial proceedings are pending in Deschutes County Circuit Court. The case highlights the operational intersection of federal immigration enforcement and state criminal justice systems. It also underscores the financial and regulatory status of the driver, who held a California commercial license while entering the country from Arizona. The transfer marks the conclusion of the initial custody dispute and sets the stage for the local trial.