Undocumented Indian National Charged in Ohio Crash That Killed Pregnant 17‑Year‑Old; DHS Lodges ICE Detainer
An Indian national who entered the U.S. illegally in 2017, Tarsem Singh, has been indicted in Darke County, Ohio on vehicular homicide, involuntary manslaughter and reckless homicide charges after allegedly leading deputies on a Feb. 16 high‑speed chase that ended in a crash killing his 17‑year‑old pregnant passenger, Ashlee Holmes, and her unborn child and injuring another driver. The Darke County Sheriff’s Office says a deputy clocked the SUV at around 100 mph and that Singh then fled for roughly five miles at speeds up to 124 mph before striking an eastbound vehicle on a curve; Holmes was ejected and pronounced dead at the scene, while the other driver was hospitalized with injuries. DHS says Singh is being held on $1 million bond and that ICE has lodged an immigration detainer with Ohio authorities to keep him in custody for removal if he is released from criminal charges. Acting DHS Assistant Secretary Lauren Bis used the case to argue that "illegal aliens should not be driving cars on America’s roads" and to justify the detainer as a way to prevent Singh from "ever" being released back behind the wheel, rhetoric that is already being amplified in partisan online debates over whether immigration policy bears responsibility for individual violent or reckless acts. The case is likely to become another flashpoint in national discussions about ICE detainers, local cooperation with federal immigration authorities, and how often serious crashes or violent crimes are used to argue for broader crackdowns on undocumented immigrants.
📌 Key Facts
- Tarsem Singh, an undocumented Indian national, has been indicted in Darke County, Ohio on vehicular homicide, involuntary manslaughter and reckless homicide charges.
- The Feb. 16 pursuit began when a deputy observed Singh’s SUV speeding; the chase reached 124 mph over about five miles before a crash that killed 17‑year‑old pregnant passenger Ashlee Holmes and her unborn child and injured another woman.
- DHS says Singh entered the U.S. illegally via the southern border in California in February 2017 and was released on bond by a judge, and ICE has now lodged an immigration detainer while he is held on $1 million bond.
📊 Relevant Data
Ohio does not issue driver's licenses to undocumented immigrants, and a proposed bill (H.B. 722) would ban all undocumented immigrants from driving in the state, including those with valid licenses from other states.
Bill would ban all undocumented immigrants from driving in Ohio — NBC4i
As of 2022, there were an estimated 725,000 undocumented Indian immigrants in the US, making them the third-largest undocumented group after Mexicans and Central Americans.
Why more Indians are crossing borders illegally to enter the US — BBC
Causal factors for undocumented Indian migration to the US include economic dispossession, lack of access to education and employment, and violence, with a full industry of agents and brokers facilitating illegal entries.
Unauthorized Indians in the United States: Trends and Developments — Johns Hopkins University SAIS
In FY 2020, ICE issued 122,233 immigration detainers, with subjects having criminal histories including over 1,900 homicide-related convictions.
Darke County, Ohio, has a population that is 99.4% US citizens as of 2024, with a slight population decrease of 0.7% from 2020 to 2025, and minimal foreign-born residents.
Darke County, OH | Data USA — Data USA
Granting driver's licenses to undocumented immigrants has been associated with a 5% increase in total fatal crashes, or roughly 0.46 more deaths per 100,000 residents in adopting states.
Does Granting Driver's Licenses to Undocumented Immigrants Increase Fatal Car Crashes? — The Policy Scientist
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