Indian national returned to US Oregon jail over crash that killed two newlyweds
US authorities have transferred 32-year-old Indian national Rajinder Kumar to state custody in Oregon to face prosecution over a November 2025 tractor-trailer crash that killed two newlywed Americans, the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) said.Kumar has been indicted in Deschutes County, Oregon, on two counts of first-degree manslaughter and three counts of recklessly endangering another person. The charges remain pending before the state court, and the allegations have not been established at trial.In a post on X on Sunday, October 18, ICE's Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) Seattle office confirmed Kumar's transfer to the Deschutes County Jail, saying the move would allow state criminal proceedings to continue.“Two Americans lost their lives, and their families deserve accountability,” ICE ERO Seattle Acting Field Office Director Julio S Hernandez said, according to the agency's official statement.“ICE worked closely with law-enforcement partners to ensure Kumar is returned to state custody to answer for the serious charges against him,” Hernandez added, according to ANI.He further said, “This coordinated action protects the public, supports the victims’ families, and ensures that an individual accused of these crimes does not evade justice.”
“ICE will continue using every lawful tool available to protect the American people from criminal activity committed by illegal aliens,” Hernandez said.According to ICE, the agency had lodged an immigration detainer with the Deschutes County Jail following Kumar's earlier arrest. However, the county released him in April 2026 without honouring the detainer, the agency said.“ICE officers subsequently located and arrested Kumar at large earlier this year,” the agency said in its post, without specifying the date or location of his subsequent arrest.ICE said deportation proceedings would remain on hold until the conclusion of the state criminal case. “Following the conclusion of state criminal proceedings, ICE will pursue Kumar’s immigration case consistent with federal law,” it said.The agency's statement also outlined Kumar's immigration history. According to ICE, US Border Patrol apprehended him near Lukeville, Arizona, on November 28, 2022, after he “illegally entered the United States from Mexico”.He was subsequently placed in removal proceedings. ICE said that “a pending application does not confer legal status in the United States”.