"How many more senseless tragedies must take place"
A truck driver charged over a horrific crash that killed a newlywed couple in Oregon was living in the US illegally after receiving a commercial driver’s licence in California, federal officials have claimed.
Indian national Rajinder Kumar was arrested on November 24 after he jackknifed his semi-truck in Bend and collided with a vehicle.
The crash killed William Carter and his wife, Jennifer Lower. They had been married for just 16 days.
Federal officials said Kumar entered the US illegally and was released by the Biden administration.
The Department of Homeland Security confirmed that an immigration detainer has now been lodged against him.
Officials said Kumar received work authorisation and a commercial driver’s licence in California in 2023. They claimed he is the latest undocumented migrant linked to a fatal crash after being released under current federal policy.
DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said: “Rajinder Kumar, a criminal illegal alien from India, was released into our country under the Biden administration and issued a commercial driver’s license by Gavin Newsom’s Department of Motor Vehicles.
“How many more senseless tragedies must take place before sanctuary politicians stop allowing illegal aliens to dangerously operate semi-trucks on America’s roads?
“Our prayers are with William and Jennifer’s families. Under Secretary [Kristi] Noem, ICE will continue its efforts to get illegal alien truck drivers off America’s highways.”
The case has intensified scrutiny of migrant vetting and state licensing systems. Federal officials say the issue has become more urgent as similar cases emerge across the country.
Rajinder Kumar’s arrest comes after Harjinder Singh was arrested in Florida in August 2025 after a crash that killed three people.
That same month, California authorities charged Partap Singh, an undocumented migrant from India, after a multi-car pileup left a five-year-old child with life-altering injuries.
In October, California officials arrested a third undocumented migrant, Jashanpreet Singh, over a crash that killed three people.
It was reported that he crossed the southern US border in 2022 and was first encountered by Border Patrol agents in California’s El Centro Sector in March that year.
He was released into the interior of the country under the Biden administration’s “alternatives to detention” policy, pending an immigration hearing.
Jashanpreet Singh was reportedly intoxicated at the time but toxicology reports confirmed none of the substances tested were present in his blood.
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