Trump deportations come after illegal immigrant rattled South Carolina; motive in interstate shutdown unknown

As deportation efforts ramp up under President Donald Trump, local Republican Party members say it’s a much-needed mission after an immigrant truck driver caused traffic mayhem in South Carolina last month, shutting down a highway after claiming to have a bomb in his 18-wheeler.

The GOP leaders say it’s another case of former President Joe Biden’s lax immigration system affecting hardworking citizens, adding new Trump administration deportations can't get started fast enough.

Ahmad Jamal Khamees Alhendi, 28, was stopped by state transport police Jan. 2 around 2:45 p.m. for having a missing license plate on his tractor-trailer, according to the South Carolina Department of Public Safety (SCDPS).

He then told a law enforcement officer there was an explosive device inside the commercial vehicle, police said. The threat prompted police to shut down all six lanes of I-85 so the Greenville County Sheriff's Office, South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED) and the FBI could investigate the threat.

SUSPECTED ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT'S FAKE BOMB THREAT SHUTS DOWN SC HIGHWAY

The 18-wheeler was eventually cleared, and all lanes of I-85 were reopened nearly five hours later.

Alhendi was arrested and jailed, and he was issued a Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detainer. ICE detainers are hold notices of non-citizens who could be removed from the country after being arrested for criminal activity and taken into custody.

ICE told Fox News Digital Alhendi is a Jordanian national who legally entered the United States in St. Paul, Minnesota, Sept. 20, 2018. His address is listed as Oak Lawn, Illinois.

Alhendi has since failed to comply with the terms of his legal admittance, meaning he is now in the country illegally. 

The highway shutdown, which took place near mile marker 44, led to long delays and bumper-to-bumper traffic.

The incident also put many residents on edge because it happened the day after terrorist Shamsud-Din Jabbar plowed his truck into a crowd full of New Year's revelers on Bourbon Street in New Orleans, killing 14 and injuring dozens of others.

It also followed a case in May in which two Jordanian nationals were charged with unlawfully entering Marine Corps Base Quantico in Virginia. A spokesperson for the base said at the time that two people in a box truck were stopped at a gate, with the driver allegedly telling military police officers they were making a delivery to the post office and worked for a company subcontracted by Amazon.

Department of Homeland Security (DHS) sources told Fox News in May that one of the Jordanian men crossed into the U.S. illegally in April before being released. ICE told Fox News the other man was a foreign student whose status was terminated in January. That case was later dismissed.

On Jan. 2, the day of the bomb hoax, Alhendi was a contractor for Globe Transportation, an Illinois-based truck company. 

A spokesperson for Globe Transportation told Fox News Alhendi had legal work authorization when it hired him and a clean, valid commercial license. He also owned the 18-wheeler he was driving.

The spokesperson said the company never had any issues with him during his time contracted with the company. She said it was her understanding his license plate had fallen off, and that’s why he was stopped by SCDPS.

However, it’s still unclear why he allegedly claimed to have a bomb in his truck.

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Alhendi's attorney told Fox News Digital he would not comment on behalf of his client. 

State Sen. Tom Fernandez, who represents the 39th District in South Carolina, said the chaotic incident stemmed from a lack of immigration enforcement and put residents at risk. 

"This incident highlights the critical need for stronger enforcement of immigration laws and better oversight of those who overstay their legal entry into the U.S.," Fernandez told Fox News Digital. "A person who entered legally but then failed to comply with the terms of their stay should not have been able to operate freely within our country, let alone cause this level of disruption."

"South Carolinians deserve to feel safe in their communities, and incidents like this only reinforce the urgency of securing our borders and ensuring that immigration laws are properly enforced."

Drew McKissick, the chair of the South Carolina Republican Party, echoed those sentiments. 

"This is a classic case of the impact Joe Biden and the Democrats had on our country," McKissick told Fox News Digital last week. "Thankfully, that all ends in just a few days. It's time to put Americans first, and with President Trump back in the White House, we can be sure the rule of law and our safety will be a priority again."

Trump's new "border czar," Tom Homan, told "America Reports" Tuesday that ICE has begun its planned mass deportations, focusing first on migrants who pose a danger to the public. 

"ICE teams are out there as of today," Homan said. "We gave them direction to prioritize public safety threats that we're looking for. So, we were working up the target list."

The ICE operations come after Trump declared the southern border a national emergency Monday and announced a flurry of border-related executive orders, including the resumption of construction of the border wall, disabling the CBP One app to parole migrants into the U.S. and deploying troops to the border. 

Alhendi appeared in court the day after the interstate mayhem and was charged with conveying false information about a bomb threat, breach of peace of a high and aggravated nature and having no vehicle license.

He was issued a total surety bond of $20,238 for all three charges and sent to the Greenville County Detention Center, Fox Carolina reported. He was then denied bond days later after the South Carolina Solicitor’s Office filed a motion to reconsider the bond once it learned of his immigration status and pending ICE detainer. 

Alhendi is still listed as being in custody. He has a hearing scheduled for Aug. 6. 2026, before an immigration judge with the Justice Department’s Executive Office for Immigration Review, according to ICE.

The South Carolina Department of Public Safety is the lead agency over that investigation, an FBI spokesperson told Fox News Digital.