As deportations intensify under President Donald Trump, local Republican members say it's a much-needed mission after an immigrant truck driver caused traffic chaos in South Carolina last month and was arrested for allegedly He shut down a highway with a bomb in his 18-wheeler.

Republican leaders said it was yet another example of former President Joe Biden's lax immigration system affecting hard-working citizens, adding that the Trump administration's new deportation drive was not launched quickly enough.

According to the South Carolina Department of Public Safety (SCDPS), 28-year-old Ahmad Jamal Khamees Alhendi was arrested by the state on January 2 at approximately 2:45 p.m. Traffic police stopped him because his tractor-trailer was missing a license plate.

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

Fake bomb threat from suspected illegal immigrant 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, jailed and detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). ICE detainers hold notices for noncitizens who may be deported after being arrested for criminal activity and detained.

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

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

The highway was closed near mile marker 44, causing long delays and congestion.

The incident also made many residents nervous as it came just days after terrorist Shamsud-Din Jabbar plowed his truck into a crowd of New Year's revelers on New Orleans' Bourbon Street, causing injuries The incident also left many residents on edge a day after 14 people were killed and dozens injured.

This follows a case in May in which two Jordanian nationals were charged with illegally entering a Marine Corps base Quantico, Virginia. A spokesman for the base said at the time that two people in a box truck were stopped at the gate and the driver allegedly told military police 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, a Jordanian man was released after illegally crossing the border into the United States in April. The other man is a foreign student whose status was terminated in January, ICE told Fox News. The case was later dismissed.

On January 2, the day of the bomb hoax, Alhendi was working as a contractor for Universal Transportation, an Illinois-based trucking company.

A spokesman for Universal Transportation told Fox News that Alhendi had legal work authorization and a clean, valid business license when he was hired. He also owns the 18-wheeler that he drives.

The spokesperson said the company never had any issues with him while he was under contract with the company. She said it was her understanding that his license plate came off and that's why he was pulled over by SCDPS.

However, it is unclear why he claimed he had a bomb in his truck.

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

State Sen. Tom Fernandez, who represents South Carolina's 39th District, said the chaos stemmed from inadequate immigration enforcement that put residents at risk.

"This incident highlights the urgent need for stronger enforcement of immigration laws and better oversight of those who legally enter the United States overdue," Fernandez told Fox News Digital. "A person who enters legally but then does not comply with the terms of their stay is not should be able to operate freely in our country, let alone cause this level of damage."

"South Carolinians deserve to feel safe in their communities, and incidents like this only heighten the urgency to protect our borders and ensure immigration laws are properly enforced."

South Carolina Republican Party Chairman Drew McKissick echoed that sentiment.

"This is a prime example of the impact of Joe Biden and the Democratic Party on our country," McKissick told Fox News Digital last week. "Thankfully, this will all be over in just a few days. It's time to put Americans first, and with President Trump returning to the White House, we can be confident that the rule of law and our security will once again be Priorities.”

Trump's new "border czar" Tom Homan told Us Report on Tuesday that ICE has begun planning for mass deportations, focusing first on immigrants who pose a danger to the public.

"ICE teams have been on the scene as of today," Homan said. "We're directing them to prioritize the public safety threats that we're looking for. So, we're developing a target list."

Trump declared a national emergency on the southern border on Monday and announced a series of border-related executive orders, including resuming construction of the border wall, disabling the CBP One app for parole immigrants entering the United States, and deploying troops to the border.

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The day after the interstate riots, Alhendi appeared in court charged with spreading false information about a bomb threat, causing a serious breach of the peace and not having a vehicle licence.

He was given a total bond of $20,238 on all three charges and was transported to the Greenville County Detention Center, Fox Carolina reported. Days later, he was denied bail after the South Carolina State Attorney's Office filed a motion to reconsider bail after learning of his immigration status and pending ICE detention.

Alhendi remains listed as a detainee. He is scheduled to have a hearing before an immigration judge at the Department of Justice's Executive Office for Immigration Review on August 6, 2026, according to ICE.

An FBI spokesperson told Fox Digital News that the South Carolina Department of Public Safety is the lead agency in the investigation.