ICE agents arrested Aman Kumar in Fresno, California, after he was released from local custody following a hit-and-run that left a 4-year-old boy critically injured; the Department of Homeland Security and Acting Assistant Secretary Lauren Bis blasted California’s sanctuary policies, and ICE Director Todd Lyons has urged Attorney General Rob Bonta and Governor Gavin Newsom to honor detainers to prevent similar dangers.
The case centers on a hit-and-run in Fresno where a young child was struck after leaving a backyard and entering the street while playing near a swing set. Fresno authorities say several vehicles had stopped for the child, but the driver moved around stopped traffic using the bike lane and struck the boy, who was rushed to the hospital in critical but stable condition and is expected to survive. The Fresno Sheriff’s Department charged Aman Kumar, an Indian national living in the U.S. illegally, with felony hit-and-run causing death or injury.
ICE picked up Kumar on May 13 after he had been released from local custody, a fact that set off sharp criticism from federal immigration officials and conservative voices who say sanctuary rules create avoidable risks. The Department of Homeland Security singled out California’s sheltering of undocumented offenders as a public safety failure, arguing the state’s refusal to honor detainers allows accused criminals back onto the streets. That criticism is blunt and unapologetic in tone, reflecting frustration with repeated clashes between federal enforcement and state policy.
DHS quoted Acting Assistant Secretary Lauren Bis in a stark statement: “This monster who almost killed a 4-year-old boy has been charged with a felony hit-and-run,” and lawmakers and law enforcement allies have seized on her wording to argue for tougher cooperation. Bis continued with another pointed assessment: “Sanctuary politicians in California released this criminal illegal alien from jail back onto the streets,” she continued. “Thanks to the brave men and women of ICE law enforcement, this criminal illegal alien was arrested outside a criminal court.”
The federal department did not stop at rhetoric. DHS outlined broader numbers to make a systemic case, saying California failed to honor ICE detainers for thousands of people in custody and that the practice has led to the release of 4,561 undocumented immigrants with criminal charges or convictions since Jan. 20. The list of alleged crimes the department cited includes homicide, assault, burglary, drug offenses, weapons offenses and sexual offenses, and those categories are being used to press for policy changes. For conservatives watching, the data is used to argue that sanctuary policies put ordinary residents at risk.
ICE Director Todd Lyons also wrote directly to California officials, including Attorney General Rob Bonta, urging the state to honor detainers for more than 33,000 undocumented immigrants in custody across California. That outreach aims to rebuild cooperation that local sheriffs and statewide officials have resisted, framing the conflict as one of public safety versus local political priorities. Governor Gavin Newsom and his administration have defended sanctuary measures on grounds of community trust and immigrant protection, but critics say those goals should not come at the expense of victims and public safety.
Federal officials also pointed to Kumar’s immigration history, saying he illegally entered the United States in 2023 and had been released under the Biden administration before local custody lapses allowed him to walk free again. Department statements tied the incident to broader enforcement patterns and blamed state policy decisions for allowing alleged offenders to remain at large. Republican commentators and local conservatives are using the case to call for stricter adherence to detainer requests and clearer lines of cooperation between state and federal authorities.
Community reaction in Fresno has been tense, with neighbors shaken by an incident that nearly cost a child his life. Local reporting noted that the boy was playing at a family home before he wandered through a gate into the roadway, and witnesses said traffic stopped until Kumar allegedly drove around the line and struck him. The incident has reopened debates in city meetings and county offices about how best to balance public safety and immigration policy, with safety advocates emphasizing prevention and rapid coordination.
DHS kept pressure on California leaders with a hardline appeal: “DHS is calling on Governor Gavin Newsom and his fellow California sanctuary politicians to stop putting American lives at risk by releasing criminals into our communities to commit more crimes and hurt more innocent people,” Bis said. That line reflects the blunt Republican argument: sanctuary policies are a choice with measurable consequences, and officials who prioritize ideological protection over cooperation should be held accountable when the public is endangered. As ICE and DHS press their case, Fresno residents and state officials face renewed scrutiny over how to prevent another close call.
