OREGON USA — Rajinder Kumar, a 32-year-old Indian national accused in connection with a fatal highway crash that killed a newly married couple in Oregon, has been returned to state custody to face criminal proceedings, according to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).Kumar faces two counts of first-degree manslaughter and other related charges, including reckless endangerment, in Deschutes County, Oregon. The charges arise from a tractor-trailer crash in November 2025 that claimed the lives of two newlyweds.According to ICE, the agency lodged an immigration detainer with the Deschutes County Jail following Kumar’s arrest. However, the county released him in April 2026 without honoring the detainer, the federal agency said.
ICE officers subsequently located and arrested Kumar before transferring him back to Oregon state custody to face the criminal case.Federal authorities said deportation proceedings would remain on hold until the state criminal proceedings conclude. ICE would then pursue his immigration case under federal law, the agency stated.The case also has an immigration history. According to ICE, U.S. Border Patrol apprehended Kumar near Lukeville, Arizona, on November 28, 2022, after he allegedly entered the United States illegally from Mexico. He was subsequently placed in removal proceedings.
ICE also emphasized that a pending immigration application does not, by itself, grant legal status in the United States.The criminal charges against Kumar remain allegations to be resolved through the judicial process. His return to state custody will allow the Oregon case to proceed, while his separate immigration case remains subject to federal procedures.
Source: Information attributed to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, as reported by India-West on October 20, 2026.