U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) told The Tennessee Star on Wednesday that federal immigration authorities have arrested Eric Maloba. The agency described Maloba as an illegal alien from Kenya who was involved in a tractor-trailer crash in East Tennessee last month.
ICE revealed that Maloba was arrested on August 28 in Hamblen County, which is located about 45 minutes northwest of Knoxville, after the tractor-trailer accident. According to the federal immigration authorities, Maloba was issued a commercial driver’s license (CDL) in Texas, and reportedly was “instructing a commercial driver’s license trainee” at the time of the crash.
The agency told The Star that Maloba (pictured above) entered the United States legally in October 2018, but overstayed “his term of admission” in April 2019, and has since remained in the country illegally for more than seven years.
Maloba is being held for immigration proceedings in Knoxville, according to ICE.
“Under President Donald J. Trump, Secretary Markwayne Mullin, and acting ICE Director David J. Venturella, ICE is targeting immigration violators who threaten public safety and undermine the rule of law,” an ICE spokesman told The Star. “Our message is clear: If you come into our country illegally and break our laws, we will find you, arrest you and remove you.
The agency also said it received support from a local law enforcement agency that has entered into a 287(g) agreement, which allows police officers and sheriff’s deputies to perform certain immigration tasks. Tennessee sheriffs are now required to participate in one of the three 287(g) agreement models offered by ICE under state law, under legislation passed this year.
According to an ICE database, the Hamblen County Sheriff’s Office participates in the Warrant Service Officer (WSO) model of the 287(g) program, which authorizes its deputies to serve and execute ICE administrative warrants on illegal aliens in their custody.
The Tennessee Highway Patrol (THP) also participates in ICE’s 287(g) program, under the Task Force Model (TFM), which allows troopers to perform federal immigration enforcement tasks while on patrol.
In the same immigration legislation package that required sheriffs to participate in the program, Tennessee also made it a Class A misdemeanor for an illegal alien to operate a commercial vehicle, which requires a CDL, in the Volunteer State. The law specifically requires local authorities to contact ICE after arresting an illegal alien found driving a commercial vehicle.
Last month in West Tennessee, ICE announced the arrest of more than 120 illegal aliens at a Memphis nightclub.
The Tennessee District Attorneys General Conference (TNDAGC) released a report in January showing that more than 11,000 illegal aliens were charged or convicted of a crime in 2025.
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Tom Pappert is a 2025 recipient of the Dao Prize and the lead reporter for The Tennessee Star. He also reports for the Star News Network. Follow Tom on X. Email tips to [email protected].
