EXCLUSIVE: Illegal alien semi-truck driver faces ICE detainer after DUI arrest in Washington highway crash

An ICE spokesperson told The Ari Hoffman Show on Talk Radio 570 KVI, “Enforcement and Removal Operations Seattle lodged an immigration detainer on Jan. 18 with the Kittitas County Jail for Nursultan Rysbekov, following his arrest by the Washington State Patrol. The crash occurred the night of Jan. 17 on eastbound I-90 near Kittitas.” According to WSDOT, one of its snowplow drivers was actively applying de-icing material to the roadway when the plow was struck by a semi-truck. The impact forced the plow into the median, where it rolled over.

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“Our snowplow driver was actively applying product to the road when a semi-truck struck his vehicle,” WSDOT said in a statement. “The impact caused our plow to enter the median and roll over.” The snowplow driver was transported to a hospital in Ellensburg for evaluation and later released. WSDOT officials said the driver was experiencing soreness but did not suffer serious injuries.

WSDOT officials called the crash “inexcusable” and emphasized the dangers faced by snowplow operators, particularly when drivers fail to slow down or drive impaired. “When our plows are actively treating the roads, they must drive slower than normal to apply product effectively and evenly,” WSDOT said. “Do not crowd or pass our plows while they’re working. We want everyone to get home safely at the end of the day.”

Washington State Patrol arrested the semi-truck driver at the scene on suspicion of driving under the influence. Kittitas County jail records show Rysbekov is still in custody in the Kittitas County Corrections Center on $50,000 bail for DUI and reckless endangerment of an emergency zone worker. As of the most recent jail records, formal charges had not yet been filed in court.

ICE said Rysbekov is an illegal immigrant and confirmed that an immigration detainer has been placed, requesting notification prior to his release from local custody. In a statement, the ICE spokesperson said, “Under President Trump and Secretary Noem, if you break the law, you will face the consequences. Criminal illegal aliens are not welcome in the US.”

The spokesperson continued, “Those who are here illegally can take control of their departure with the CBP Home App. The United States is offering illegal aliens $2,600 and a free flight to self-deport now. We encourage every person here illegally to take advantage of this offer and reserve the chance to come back to the US, the right legal way to live the American dream. If not, you will be arrested and deported without a chance to return.”

However, it remains to be seen if the detainer will be honored. Mike Faulk, spokesperson for Attorney General Nick Brown, told The Ari Hoffman Show in a statement, “DUI cases are usually prosecuted at the local level in the jurisdiction where the alleged events occurred, not through our office. State law governs how those jurisdictions would respond to detainer requests,” referring to the Keep Washington Working Act, which established the Evergreen State as a so-called “sanctuary” jurisdiction.

Last year, Kamalpreet Singh, an illegal immigrant from India who crossed in 2023 and was released under the Biden administration, was arrested for vehicular homicide after allegedly killing a young father, and was later released on bond despite an ICE detainer. The month before, a school bus pileup was allegedly caused by Mexican national Juan Hernandez-Santos, who DHS said had multiple DUIs, prior removals, and no CDL, yet was released despite an ICE detainer under sanctuary policies.