An illegal alien truck driver accused of killing two American newlyweds in a 2025 highway crash has been moved from federal immigration custody back to Oregon to face trial, after months of concern that he might be deported before answering to state charges.
According to The Post Millennial, 32-year-old Rajinder Kumar, an Indian national who crossed the southern border illegally during the Biden years, has been charged with two counts of first-degree manslaughter and three counts of recklessly endangering another person. ICE announced on Thursday that Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) officers from its Seattle field office had transferred Kumar from federal detention to Oregon state custody, clearing the way for a criminal trial that many see as a basic test of justice for American victims.
The move follows a prolonged period of uncertainty over whether Kumar would be removed from the country before facing a jury. An immigration judge ordered his deportation on July 1, as previously disclosed by ICE to Lookout Eugene-Springfield, prompting Deschutes County prosecutors to seek an arrest warrant to ensure he could be brought back for prosecution.
William Micah Carter and Jennifer Lynn Lower, newly married for just 16 days, were killed in the crash that has become a grim symbol of the human cost of lax border enforcement. According to DHS, Kumars semi-truck and trailer jackknifed across both lanes of US Highway 20 in Deschutes County on November 24, 2025, and the couples Subaru Outback slammed into the truck, killing both Americans at the scene.
Two Americans lost their lives, and their families deserve accountability. ICE worked closely with law-enforcement partners to ensure Kumar is returned to state custody to answer for the serious charges against him, said ICE ERO Seattle acting Field Office Director Julio S. Hernandez. This coordinated action protects the public, supports the victims families, and ensures that an individual accused of these crimes does not evade justice. ICE will continue using every lawful tool available to protect the American people from criminal activity committed by illegal aliens.
ICE records show that Border Patrol agents apprehended Kumar near Lukeville, Arizona, on November 28, 2022, after he illegally crossed into the United States from Mexico. He was placed into removal proceedings, yet DHS later acknowledged that he was granted work authorization under the Biden administration and obtained a California commercial drivers license, raising serious questions about vetting and public safety.
After Kumar was indicted in Oregon, ICE lodged an immigration detainer with the Deschutes County Jail, requesting that he be held for federal pickup. The agency stated that county officials released him in April 2026 without honoring the detainer, forcing ICE officers to track him down and arrest him again on April 22.
His continued federal detention, combined with the active deportation order, led local prosecutors to push aggressively for his return to Oregon. Deschutes County District Attorney Steve Gunnels told Lookout on October 7 that his office had sought an arrest warrant to secure Kumars presence for trial, but emphasized that his availability ultimately depended on federal authorities; Kumar has pleaded not guilty to all five charges, the outlet reported.
KTVZ reported on October 2 that Judge Wells Ashby had issued a bench warrant and set Kumars trial date for January 19, 2027. At that point, Kumar was believed to be held at the ICE facility in Tacoma, Washington, awaiting removal to India.
ICE said Thursday that it will resume pursuing Kumars immigration case once the state criminal proceedings are complete, in line with federal law. For many Americans watching this case, the outcome will test whether the system can still prioritize citizen safety and accountability over the bureaucratic inertia that too often shields illegal aliens from the full consequences of their actions.
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