After an illegal immigrant rattled South Carolina, Trump's deportations were initiated; the motive behind the interstate shutdown remains unclear.

The Republican Party members in South Carolina believe that the deportation efforts initiated by President Trump are necessary, following the incident where an immigrant truck driver caused a traffic jam on a highway in the state last month, claiming to have a bomb in his 18-wheeler.

The Trump administration can't start new deportations fast enough, according to GOP leaders, who claim it's another example of former President Joe Biden's weak immigration policies harming hardworking citizens.

According to the SCDPS, Ahmad Jamal Khamees Alhendi, 28, was stopped by state transport police on Jan. 2 at 2:45 p.m. because his tractor-trailer was missing a license plate.

An explosive device was reported inside a commercial vehicle, prompting police to shut down all six lanes of I-85 for investigation by the Greenville County Sheriff's Office, SLED, and the FBI.

Nearly five hours after being cleared, all lanes of I-85 were reopened.

ICE detained Alhendi, who was arrested and jailed, and issued him a detainer.

Alhendi, a Jordanian national, legally entered the United States in St. Paul, Minnesota, on September 20, 2018. His address is listed as Oak Lawn, Illinois.

Since Alhendi has not complied with the legal admission terms, he is now in the country illegally.

The shutdown of the highway near mile marker 44 resulted in prolonged delays and congested traffic.

The terrorist attack on Bourbon Street in New Orleans, which occurred the day after Shamsud-Din Jabbar plowed his truck into a crowd of New Year's revelers, resulted in the deaths of 14 people and injuries to many others, putting many residents on edge.

In May, two Jordanian nationals were charged with illegally entering Marine Corps Base Quantico in Virginia. According to a base spokesperson, two individuals in a box truck were stopped at a gate, with the driver claiming they were delivering to the post office and working for a company contracted by Amazon.

In May, Planet Chronicle reported that one of the Jordanian men entered the US illegally in April and was later released, according to sources from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). Meanwhile, ICE informed Planet Chronicle that the other man was a foreign student whose status was terminated in January. However, that case was later dismissed.

On the day of the bomb hoax, January 2nd, Alhendi was employed as a contractor with Globe Transportation, an Illinois-based trucking company.

Globe Transportation's spokesperson informed Planet Chronicle that Alhendi had legal authorization and a valid commercial license when he was hired, and he also owned the 18-wheeler he was operating.

The spokesperson stated that the company never encountered any problems with him while he was under contract with the company. She explained that her understanding was that his license plate had fallen off, which led to his stop by SCDPS.

It's still unclear why he claimed to have a bomb in his truck.

Alhendi's lawyer refused to comment on his client's behalf to Planet Chronicle Digital.

The chaotic incident that occurred was due to a lack of immigration enforcement, putting residents at risk, according to Sen. Tom Fernandez, who represents the 39th District in South Carolina.

"The incident underscores the urgent need for stricter enforcement of immigration laws and closer monitoring of individuals who exceed their legal entry into the U.S., according to Fernandez, who spoke to Planet Chronicle Digital. "An individual who entered legally but did not adhere to the conditions of their stay should not have been permitted to operate freely within our country, much less cause such a significant disturbance," Fernandez stated."

"The safety of South Carolinians in their communities is crucial, and incidents like this underscore the importance of securing our borders and enforcing immigration laws."

The chair of the South Carolina Republican Party, Drew McKissick, shared the same sentiments.

""Joe Biden and the Democrats' impact on our country will soon come to an end, as President Trump returns to the White House, ensuring the rule of law and safety are once again a top priority," McKissick told Planet Chronicle Digital last week."

Trump's "border czar," Tom Homan, announced on "America Reports" Tuesday that ICE has started its planned mass deportations, targeting first those migrants who pose a threat to the public.

"As of today, ICE teams have been given direction to prioritize public safety threats, and they are currently working on creating a target list."

After Trump declared the southern border a national emergency and announced several border-related executive orders, including resuming the construction of the border wall, disabling the CBP One app to allow migrants into the U.S., and deploying troops to the border, ICE operations will commence.

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

He was given a total bond of $20,238 for all three charges and sent to the Greenville County Detention Center, according to Fox Carolina. However, he was later denied bond after the South Carolina Solicitor's Office filed a motion to reconsider the bond once they discovered his immigration status and pending ICE detainer.

ICE has confirmed that Alhendi remains in custody and has a scheduled hearing before an immigration judge with the Justice Department's Executive Office for Immigration Review on Aug. 6, 2026.

An FBI spokesperson informed Planet Chronicle Digital that the South Carolina Department of Public Safety is in charge of the investigation.