Rajinder Kumar back in Oregon state hands before Deschutes County trial

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement returned Rajinder Kumar to Oregon state authorities earlier this month. The 32-year-old commercial driver is facing two counts of first-degree manslaughter and three counts of recklessly endangering another person. Federal agents facilitated the transfer so Kumar can stand trial in Deschutes County before any deportation orders are executed.

The custody return followed a period of federal detention and a dispute between local and federal officials. Kumar was indicted by a Deschutes County grand jury after a fatal highway crash. Although he pleaded not guilty in state court, a jurisdictional conflict emerged when county corrections officials released him from jail on April 2. They declined to honor an ICE immigration detainer, citing Oregon’s state sanctuary policies.

ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations Seattle agents arrested Kumar on April 22. They detained him at the Northwest ICE Processing Center in Tacoma, Washington, while federal removal proceedings moved forward. The agency stated that the return to state custody ensures the driver answers for the felony charges against him.

The crash occurred on Nov. 24, 2025, on U.S. Highway 20. Kumar allegedly jackknifed his tractor-trailer across both lanes of traffic. William Micah Carter, 25, and his wife, Jennifer Lynn Lower, 24, were killed when their Subaru Outback struck the semi. The couple had been married for 16 days at the time of the collision.

Before the custody transfer, Elizabeth Carter, the mother of William Carter, spoke to Kumar through the window of an ICE vehicle. The interaction was recorded by the agency’s Victims of Immigrant Crime Engagement office. Carter told Kumar she prayed for him and his family. She noted that she knew he did not wake up that morning planning to kill two newlyweds.

Court and immigration records indicate Kumar entered the United States unlawfully near Lukeville, Arizona, on Nov. 28, 2022. U.S. Border Patrol apprehended him, but he was released into the country under the Biden administration pending removal proceedings. He later received federal work authorization and a commercial driver’s license from California.

Department of Homeland Security officials confirmed that federal deportation proceedings are paused. Criminal trial proceedings remain pending in Deschutes County Circuit Court. ICE Acting Field Office Director Julio Hernandez said the coordinated action protects the public and supports the victims' families.