A Democrat mother delivered a tearful testimony before a House Judiciary Subcommittee, expressing shame in her party's approach to immigration following the death of her son, his wife, and their cat in a car crash involving an undocumented immigrant. Elizabeth Carter recounted the tragic incident that occurred last November, when her son, Billy Carter, and his wife, Jenny Lower, who had been married for just 16 days, died returning from their wedding reception.
Their vehicle collided with a jackknifed tractor-trailer driven by Rajinder Kumar, an individual from India who was in the U.S. illegally, according to the Department of Homeland Security. Carter directly criticized the Democratic Party's opposition to stricter immigration enforcement, questioning the current processing methods for migrants entering the country in large numbers.
"I have to say, as a lifelong Democrat, I am ashamed of what my party is doing," Carter stated during her testimony in Washington D.C. Representative Brad Knott (R-NC) supported Carter, emphasizing the importance of enforcing laws to protect American families.
Kumar had entered the U.S. illegally in November 2022. He had been issued a Commercial Driver's License by California and received work authorization from the Biden administration, according to DHS. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) took Kumar into custody on April 11 after what DHS described as a refusal by "Oregon sanctuary politicians" to cooperate with the agency, leading to his release back into the community on April 2.
Kumar faces removal proceedings and is currently held at the Northwest ICE Processing Center in Tacoma, Washington. He has been charged with first-degree manslaughter in connection with the fatal crash.
Elizabeth Carter presented photographs of her son and daughter-in-law as she shared their story. Billy Carter, born in Phoenix, Arizona, had moved to Springfield, Oregon, with his family. He met Jenny Lower at a church event, and the couple began dating in May 2025, becoming engaged in August. They were married on November 8 in Portland, Oregon.
A funeral for Billy and Jenny Carter was held on December 8. Her husband, Dennis Carter, previously told The Oregonian that the couple "never had to spend one minute apart" and described their marriage as exceptionally happy.