A deadly highway crash in Florida has sparked a federal investigation after it was revealed that the truck driver responsible, an illegal immigrant, was granted a Commercial Driver’s License (CDL) by Washington state despite not being allowed to receive one and failed basic English proficiency requirements. The tragedy, which left three people dead, is now fueling national outrage over how sanctuary state policies are enabling unqualified drivers to get behind the wheel of heavy trucks.
The driver, Harjinder Singh, was charged with vehicular manslaughter after making an illegal U-turn on a Florida highway and crashing his semitruck into a minivan, instantly killing three passengers. Following the accident, investigators with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) administered an English Language Proficiency (ELP) test. Singh failed miserably, correctly answering only two of 12 verbal questions and identifying just one of four basic highway signs.
Despite this, Washington state issued Singh a full-term CDL on July 15, 2023, even though the Department of Homeland Security had confirmed that Singh is in the country illegally and therefore ineligible for such a license. Records show the Trump administration rejected his work authorization in 2020, but the Biden administration approved it in 2021.
US Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy condemned Washington, New Mexico, and California for violating federal safety laws and putting lives at risk. On Tuesday, he posted on X, “Here’s what we know: Washington State improperly issued the driver a full-term CDL. Asylum seekers or illegal aliens are NOT allowed to receive this!”
Duffy continued, “New Mexico failed to conduct an English Language Proficiency test when they pulled the driver over for speeding. Had they done this, the driver would not have been on the road!” He added that the agency was also looking into California’s issuance of the driver’s CDL.”
“States MUST FOLLOW THE RULES. If they had, this driver would NEVER have been behind the wheel and three precious lives would still be with us,” Duffy added. “The failures here are despicable. Non-enforcement and radical immigration policies have turned the trucking industry into a lawless frontier, resulting in unqualified foreign drivers improperly acquiring licenses to operate 40-ton vehicles. @POTUS and I moved quickly to require drivers to speak English – our national language – and launch a full-scale audit of how these licenses are doled out. And all of this is just the tip of the iceberg. We’ll have more updates to share soon.”
Duffy announced that the Department of Transportation will move to cut federal funding from states that improperly issue licenses to illegal immigrants. He pledged that under the Trump administration, stricter enforcement would return to keep unqualified drivers off US highways. “We will use every tool at our disposal to hold these states and bad actors accountable,” Duffy said. “The families of the deceased deserve justice.”
The crash highlights how liberal states’ sanctuary state policies, already controversial for shielding illegal immigrants from federal enforcement, are now under scrutiny for undermining highway safety. Washington has long been one of the nation’s leaders in issuing driver’s licenses to illegal immigrants, a policy critics say directly contributed to this tragedy.
Members of the public can report immigration-related crimes or suspicious activity by calling 866-347-2423 or completing the online tip form.
