Elizabeth Carter told a House Judiciary immigration subcommittee that her son Billy Carter, 25, and his wife Jenny Lynn Lower, 24, died because Rajinder Kumar was freed into the country after crossing near Lukeville, Arizona, in November 2022 instead of completing legal entry steps.

Married 16 days, the couple died on November 24, 2025, when their car struck Kumar’s semi on Highway 20 in Oregon as they drove home from a second wedding reception. California issued him a commercial license and federal officials issued a work permit. Oregon later ignored an ICE hold and let him go; agents arrested him 20 days later in April 2026.

Carter said mixed federal and state rules blocked clear answers and that Americans whose relatives die deserve a proper trial, which left her feeling let down by officials.