Custody Swap: ICE Returns Oregon Truck Driver to State Jail

Two Americans died when a commercial tractor-trailer blocked both lanes of U.S. Highway 20 in Oregon. Rajinder Kumar, 32, now faces state criminal charges after federal agents returned him to local custody earlier this month.

Kumar was charged with two counts of first-degree manslaughter and three counts of recklessly endangering another person in Deschutes County. The collision occurred on Nov. 24, 2025, when Kumar allegedly jackknifed his semi across the highway. William Micah Carter, 25, and his wife Jennifer Lynn Lower, 24, died in their Subaru Outback after striking the vehicle. The couple had been married for 16 days.

Elizabeth Carter, the victims' mother, spoke to Kumar through the passenger window of an ICE vehicle. The interaction was recorded by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Victims of Immigrant Crime Engagement office. Carter told Kumar, "Hello Mr. Kumar, my name is Elizabeth Carter; I'm William Micah Carter's mother." She added, "I pray for you and your family, I know you didn't get up that morning planning to kill two newlyweds. And I know your family is going through something important too."

Kumar entered the United States unlawfully near Lukeville, Ariz., on Nov. 28, 2022. He was apprehended by U.S. Border Patrol and released into the country pending removal proceedings. During that time, he received federal work authorization and obtained a commercial driver's license from the State of California.

A jurisdictional conflict arose after a Deschutes County grand jury indicted Kumar. He pleaded not guilty in state court. ICE lodged an immigration detainer, requesting that county jail officials notify federal agents before his release. County corrections officials declined to honor the federal detainer on April 2. They released Kumar into the community under Oregon’s state sanctuary policies.

Agents from ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations Seattle located and arrested Kumar on April 22. They detained him at the Northwest ICE Processing Center in Tacoma, Wash., while federal removal proceedings continued. ICE ERO Seattle announced it has now returned Kumar to Deschutes County authorities. This ensures he faces a local trial on the felony manslaughter charges before any deportation orders are executed.

Julio Hernandez, acting Field Office Director for ICE ERO Seattle, said, "Two Americans lost their lives, and their families deserve accountability." He stated that ICE worked closely with law enforcement partners to ensure Kumar is returned to state custody to answer for the serious charges against him. DHS officials confirmed that federal deportation proceedings remain paused while Oregon state prosecutors pursue the criminal charges in Deschutes County Circuit Court.