A grieving mother offered compassion to the man accused of killing her son in an emotional video released by federal immigration officials.
The footage, shared by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Victims of Immigrant Crime Engagement (VOICE) office, shows Elizabeth Carter speaking with Rajinder Kumar, the Indian national and commercial truck driver charged in the Oregon crash that killed her son and his newlywed wife in November 2025.
“Hello, Mr. Kumar. My name is Elizabeth Carter; I’m William Micah Carter’s mother,” she said, visibly fighting back tears as Kumar appeared reluctant to meet her eyes. “I wanted you to know that I pray for you and your family. I know you didn’t wake up that morning planning to kill two newlyweds. And I know your family is going through something important too.”
Elizabeth Carter, a self-described “lifelong Democrat,” testified that she is “ashamed” of her party’s handling of immigration after her son, William Carter, and daughter-in-law, Jennifer Lower, were killed in a crash involving a commercial truck driver in the country illegally. (Screenshot from House Judiciary GOP official YouTube livestream; DHS)
The exchange occurred earlier this month at the passenger-side window of an ICE vehicle, as federal agents prepared to return Kumar to Oregon custody for criminal prosecution. In Deschutes County, he faces two counts of first-degree manslaughter and three counts of recklessly endangering another person.
Prosecutors accuse Kumar of causing the deaths of William Micah Carter, 25, and Jennifer Lynn Lower, 24. The couple had been married for only 16 days.
The fatal collision happened Nov. 24, 2025, on U.S. Highway 20. Authorities allege Kumar’s tractor-trailer jackknifed across the roadway, blocking both lanes, before the couple’s Subaru Outback slammed into the truck. Both passengers died at the scene.
William Micah Carter and Jennifer Lynn Lower died in the Oregon crash just 16 days after their wedding, according to the Department of Homeland Security. (Department of Homeland Security)
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A Deschutes County grand jury later indicted Kumar. He pleaded not guilty in state court, setting off a dispute between federal immigration authorities and local officials after his release from custody.
Court and immigration records indicate that Kumar entered the United States unlawfully near Lukeville, Arizona, on Nov. 28, 2022. U.S. Border Patrol apprehended him and released him into the country under the Biden administration while his removal case proceeded. He was later granted federal work authorization and obtained a commercial driver’s license from California.
ICE placed an immigration detainer on Rajinder Kumar, the driver accused in the fatal crash that killed two people. (Reuters; Department of Homeland Security)
After Kumar’s indictment, ICE issued a detainer asking the Deschutes County Jail to notify federal authorities before releasing him. County corrections officials declined to honor the request on April 2, releasing Kumar into the community under Oregon’s sanctuary policies.
Agents with ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations in Seattle later located and arrested Kumar on April 22 in connection with his immigration case. He was held at the Northwest ICE Processing Center in Tacoma, Washington, as federal officials advanced removal proceedings.
ICE ERO Seattle said Kumar has since been transferred back to Deschutes County authorities so he can stand trial on the felony manslaughter charges before any deportation order is carried out.
“Two Americans lost their lives, and their families deserve accountability,” ICE ERO Seattle acting Field Office Director Julio Hernandez said. “ICE worked closely with law enforcement partners to ensure Kumar is returned to state custody to answer for the serious charges against him.”
“This coordinated action protects the public, supports the victims’ families, and ensures that an individual accused of these crimes does not evade justice.”
Department of Homeland Security officials said federal deportation proceedings will remain on hold while Oregon prosecutors pursue the state charges. Kumar’s criminal case is pending in Deschutes County Circuit Court.