As deportation efforts ramp up under President Donald Trump, local Republican Party members say it’s a much-needed mission after an immigrant truck driver caused traffic mayhem in South Carolina last month, shutting down a highway after claiming to have a bomb in his 18-wheeler.

The GOP leaders say it’s another case of former President Joe Biden’s lax immigration system affecting hardworking citizens, adding new Trump administration deportations can’t get started fast enough.

Ahmad Jamal Khamees Alhendi, 28, was stopped by state transport police Jan. 2 around 2:45 p.m. for having a missing license plate on his tractor-trailer, according to the South Carolina Department of Public Safety (SCDPS).

He then told a law enforcement officer there was an explosive device inside the commercial vehicle, police said. The threat prompted police to shut down all six lanes of I-85 so the Greenville County Sheriff’s Office, South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED) and the FBI could investigate the threat.

Ahmad Jamal Khamees Alhendi was arrested in South Carolina after officials say he made a fake bomb threat during a traffic stop. (Alex Hicks Jr./Staff/USA Today Network via Imagn Images, left; Greenville County Detention Center, right.)

Alhendi’s attorney told Fox News Digital he would not comment on behalf of his client. 

State Sen. Tom Fernandez, who represents the 39th District in South Carolina, said the chaotic incident stemmed from a lack of immigration enforcement and put residents at risk. 

“This incident highlights the critical need for stronger enforcement of immigration laws and better oversight of those who overstay their legal entry into the U.S.,” Fernandez told Fox News Digital. “A person who entered legally but then failed to comply with the terms of their stay should not have been able to operate freely within our country, let alone cause this level of disruption.”

“South Carolinians deserve to feel safe in their communities, and incidents like this only reinforce the urgency of securing our borders and ensuring that immigration laws are properly enforced.”

Drew McKissick, the chair of the South Carolina Republican Party, echoed those sentiments. 

“This is a classic case of the impact Joe Biden and the Democrats had on our country,” McKissick told Fox News Digital last week. “Thankfully, that all ends in just a few days. It’s time to put Americans first, and with President Trump back in the White House, we can be sure the rule of law and our safety will be a priority again.”

Trump’s new “border czar,” Tom Homan, told “America Reports” Tuesday that ICE has begun its planned mass deportations, focusing first on migrants who pose a danger to the public. 

“ICE teams are out there as of today,” Homan said. “We gave them direction to prioritize public safety threats that we’re looking for. So, we were working up the target list.”

The ICE operations come after Trump declared the southern border a national emergency Monday and announced a flurry of border-related executive orders, including the resumption of construction of the border wall, disabling the CBP One app to parole migrants into the U.S. and deploying troops to the border. 

The bomb threat caused traffic gridlock. (WHNS)

Alhendi appeared in court the day after the interstate mayhem and was charged with conveying false information about a bomb threat, breach of peace of a high and aggravated nature and having no vehicle license.

He was issued a total surety bond of $20,238 for all three charges and sent to the Greenville County Detention Center, Fox Carolina reported. He was then denied bond days later after the South Carolina Solicitor’s Office filed a motion to reconsider the bond once it learned of his immigration status and pending ICE detainer. 

Police guiding traffic on Interstate 85 Jan. 2.  (Alex Hicks Jr./Staff/USA Today Network via Imagn Images)

Alhendi is still listed as being in custody. He has a hearing scheduled for Aug. 6. 2026, before an immigration judge with the Justice Department’s Executive Office for Immigration Review, according to ICE.

The South Carolina Department of Public Safety is the lead agency over that investigation, an FBI spokesperson told Fox News Digital.