Illegal Immigrant Trucker With California License Accused Of Killing Newlyweds In Tragic Collision

A newlywed couple was tragically killed in a collision allegedly caused by an illegal immigrant truck driver with a California license, according to the Department of Homeland Security.

Rajinder Kumar, of India, jackknifed his semi-truck and trailer on November 24. The disabled big rig blocked both lanes of a major highway in Deschutes County, Oregon, and led to the deaths of William Micah Carter and his wife, Jennifer Lynn Lower, after their vehicle “struck the trailer at highway speeds,” according to local reports. The couple had been married for just sixteen days when the crash occurred, Jennifer’s father, Tom Lower, told The Bulletin.

The truck driver crossed the southern border illegally into Lukeville, Arizona, in 2022 and was later released into the country at a time when the Biden administration was allowing entry of thousands of illegal immigrants each month, according to the Department of Homeland Security. From there, he received a work permit in 2023 and a California Commercial Driver’s License to drive trucks.

“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?” said Assistant Homeland Security Secretary Tricia McLaughlin.

“Our prayers are with William and Jennifer’s families. Under Secretary Noem, ICE will continue its efforts to get illegal alien truck drivers off America’s highways,” McLaughlin added.

The Indian national is charged with criminally negligent homicide and reckless endangerment. Immigration and Customs Enforcement has also placed a detainer with the local jail, formally requesting that local authorities hand him over to federal custody if he’s ever to be released.

However, it’s unlikely that local authorities will work with federal authorities since they’re hamstrung by Oregon’s sanctuary laws.

The Department of Transportation has labeled California as a major source of several fatal collisions involving illegal immigrant drivers. The agency recently revealed that California authorities issued 17,000 non-domiciled Commercial Driver’s Licenses to foreign drivers.

As a result, the Trump administration is withholding $40 million in federal funding from California after its investigation found that state authorities weren’t enforcing the English-language requirement for truck drivers.

Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier filed a lawsuit in October against California, which handed Indian illegal immigrant Harjinder Singh, who allegedly killed three people while making an illegal U-turn in August in the Sunshine State, a Commercial Driver’s License.