Fourth fatal crash in Oregon prompts ICE detainer against truck driver

For the fourth time in 2025, a fatal crash in Oregon caused by a truck driver has prompted Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to intervene.

For the fourth time in 2025, a fatal accident in Oregon caused by a truck driver has prompted Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to intervene, issuing a detainer on December 1 against the driver responsible.

The accident occurred on November 24. The driver, Kumar Rajinder, jackknifed his tractor-trailer and blocked both lanes of U.S. Highway 20 in Deschutes County, Oregon. This reckless maneuver caused a couple in a Subaru Outback to crash into the truck, resulting in their deaths. William Cater and Jennifer Lower were the victims who died at the scene.

According to reports from KTVZ21, the couple had met on a blind date in April 2024 and married 16 days before the accident.

Fourth crash caused by an “undocumented” truck driver

Rajinder, 32, from Fresno, California, entered the United States illegally near Lukeville, Arizona, on November 28, 2022, according to the ICE report. Rajinder was released into the country by the previous administration and was eventually issued a commercial driver’s license to work as a trucker in California, as well as a work permit in 2023.

After the accident, Rajinder was arrested on two counts of criminally negligent homicide and one count of reckless conduct. The agency issued the fourth detainer to ensure that Rajinder remains in custody long enough for the other jurisdictions to take over the case.

Currently, the Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office continues to hold Rajinder on a $100,000 bond ordered by a judge. In addition, Rajinder was ordered to surrender his passport and remain in contact with his probation officer. Rajinder did not have the assistance of a Hindi interpreter during his arrest.

Truck driver charged with killing newlyweds in horror crash is illegal migrant given license in Newsom’s California: feds https://t.co/yplun0trsy pic.twitter.com/zbDclRGgzu
— New York Post (@nypost) December 2, 2025

Sanctuary states: the industry demands tighter control

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is once again placing blame on California Governor Gavin Newsom and on “sanctuary” states that have not taken steps to remove undocumented and limited-English-proficient truckers from the roads.

The term “sanctuary” (though lacking a standard or legal definition) refers to the idea that the federal government cannot compel jurisdictions to participate in the enforcement of immigration laws, according to the American Immigration Council. California, Washington, and now Oregon fall under this classification and are widely known as sanctuary states.

Previous accidents reported this year led Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier to escalate legal action in October, accusing California and Washington of enforcing “sanctuary” policies that he claims allow unqualified individuals to obtain commercial driver’s licenses (CDLs) and drive in other states. He filed a lawsuit with the U.S. Supreme Court following a major trucking accident that killed three people.

Meanwhile, the federal government opened an economic front: Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy warned that California, Washington, and New Mexico could lose federal funding for failing to comply with CDL-licensing regulations and added similar complaints against Pennsylvania, Colorado, South Dakota, and Texas.

The industry, the government, and multiple associations are demanding stricter measures for states that continue allowing these practices. ICE continues conducting roadway inspections with the aim, according to DHS, of detaining undocumented drivers or those who do not meet English-language proficiency requirements (ELD).