A lifelong Democrat mother told Congress her son and his new bride were killed by an illegal immigrant truck driver who held a California-issued commercial license.
Story Snapshot
- Elizabeth Carter testified before a House Judiciary Subcommittee that her son and daughter-in-law died when an undocumented driver’s semitruck jackknifed on their highway.
- The driver, identified as Rajinder Kumar, allegedly never set out warning lights, flares, or cones after his truck blocked both lanes.
- California’s Department of Motor Vehicles admitted it issued Kumar his commercial license, insisting it followed federal and state law.
- Carter said Oregon’s sanctuary rules stopped prosecutors from working with immigration officers on the case.
Newlyweds Killed 16 Days After Their Wedding
William Micah Carter and Jennifer Lynn Lower Carter died in November 2025 when their vehicle slammed into a jackknifed semitruck on U.S. Highway 20 in Oregon. Elizabeth Carter told the House Judiciary Subcommittee her son and his wife had been married just 16 days before the crash took their lives. The truck driver, Rajinder Kumar, was described in multiple reports as an undocumented immigrant operating under a California-issued commercial driver’s license.
Carter’s written testimony called the crash a tragedy she “cannot yet explain or understand,” pointing directly at Kumar’s actions that day. She told lawmakers Kumar entered the country near Lukeville, Arizona, in 2022, was briefly detained, then released and later allowed to work and obtain his California license. That timeline became the centerpiece of her push for stronger border enforcement.
Mother Blames Sanctuary Laws for Blocking Enforcement
Carter told the committee Oregon’s sanctuary policies tie prosecutors’ hands. “If the prosecutor tries to coordinate with ICE, that could mean that the charges are immediately dropped,” she said, arguing these laws protect criminals instead of citizens who elected local officials. She also claimed Kumar never deployed warning lights, flares, or cones after his truck jackknifed across both lanes, leaving oncoming drivers with no chance to react.
The hearing, titled “The Continuing Tragedy of Sanctuary Laws,” directly tied Carter’s story to a proposed bill called the Shut Down Sanctuary Policies Act. Lawmakers used her testimony, along with other victims’ families, to argue that state and local governments limiting cooperation with federal immigration agents put ordinary Americans in danger.
California DMV Defends Licensing Decision
California’s Department of Motor Vehicles pushed back hard against claims it acted recklessly. The agency said it “followed all federal and state laws in reviewing and granting Mr. Rajinder Kumar his California commercial driver’s license,” including confirming his legal presence and a federally approved work permit. That statement raises a real question: if the paperwork checked out on paper, how did a driver allegedly unable to communicate warnings in English or Spanish end up behind an 18-wheeler on a public highway?
Carter’s testimony didn’t stop at licensing. She argued the broader immigration system — including mass releases under the previous administration — set the stage for this tragedy long before Kumar ever got behind the wheel. She pointed to the roughly 10 million people who crossed the border during that period as proof the system needed fixing, not more excuses.
‘Lifelong Democrat’ admits she is ‘ashamed’ of party after son killed in illegal immigrant crash | Fox News, New York Post
In testimony before Congress this morning, self-identified “lifelong Democrat” Elizabeth Carter admitted that she is “ashamed” of her party’s handling of… pic.twitter.com/RFTUHBENNo
— Owen Gregorian (@OwenGregorian) September 16, 2026
Debate Over Sanctuary Policy Data Continues
Groups like the Cato Institute counter that broad data shows immigrants with temporary work authorization crash less often than U.S.-born drivers, and that sanctuary policies show no measurable link to higher crime rates statewide. Those studies address population-level trends, not what happened on that Oregon highway. They don’t change the fact that a family buried two newlyweds and a grieving mother now has to relive that day in front of Congress.
No police crash report, licensing file, or immigration record has been made public yet to fill in every detail of Kumar’s history. Congress and California’s DMV have the documents that could settle the remaining questions. Until those records surface, families like the Carters are left testifying from memory and grief while policymakers argue over sanctuary laws that may or may not have played a role in the collision that took their son.
Sources:
nypost.com, kmph.com, thegatewaypundit.com, christianpost.com, economictimes.indiatimes.com, docs.house.gov, judiciary.house.gov, foxnews.com
