A deadly crash in Florida that made national headlines last week has further exposed the perils of handing driver’s licenses to illegal aliens, particularly in the commercial trucking industry. In response, the Trump administration is vowing a renewed crackdown on states that refuse to comply with English language requirements for truckers.
Shocking video from the Sunshine State on August 14 shows a semi-truck attempting a highly illegal U-turn from the right lane on the Florida Turnpike. The rig appears to be attempting to use a vehicle turnaround reserved only for emergency vehicles when it jackknifes and becomes stuck.
Seconds later, a minivan traveling in the left lane slams into the trailer, killing all three occupants of the passenger vehicle.
Authorities say 28-year-old Harjinder Singh, an illegal alien from India, was the driver of the truck in that video. Singh was traveling with one passenger, Harneet Singh. Both men fled to Sacramento the day after the crash. Singh was arrested in Stockton, California, on August 16 and extradited to Florida.
From the footage, Harjinder Singh appeared largely unbothered by the tragedy. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has slammed him as having “no remorse.”
Singh has been charged with three counts of vehicular homicide and remains in custody pending deportation proceedings, according to the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles.
The Department of Transportation said that Singh failed basic competency exams, answering only two of 12 questions correctly on an English language test and identifying just one of four traffic signs.
Despite failing the basic exams, Singh obtained a full-term CDL in Washington in 2023 and a limited-term CDL in California in 2024, even though federal law bars illegal aliens from holding CDLs in either state, Fox News reported. Federal investigators are now reviewing whether both states complied with federal standards.
Washington allows CDL testing in languages other than English, while California administers tests only in English. Federal law requires drivers to read and speak English well enough to converse with the public, understand road signs, and respond to official inquiries.
Singh entered the U.S. illegally in 2018 and was placed in deportation proceedings. The Trump administration denied him a work permit in 2020, but the Biden administration reversed that decision in 2021, giving him legal work authorization that paved the way for his CDL in California. A spokesperson for California Gov. Gavin Newsom told Fox News that Singh was reissued a work permit earlier this year.
In July, New Mexico State Police stopped Singh for speeding but failed to administer an English proficiency test, violating the requirement that had taken effect two weeks earlier.
This episode follows a broader pattern of licensing scandals involving illegal immigrants that AMAC Newsline has previously highlighted. Just last month, in Bay County, Florida, DMV employees were arrested for selling driver’s licenses to illegal aliens for cash, bypassing testing entirely.
Trucking industry leaders say Singh’s case reflects a breakdown that the Biden administration was warned of years ago. Notably, in 2021, the Biden White House launched a “Trucking Action Plan” to “reduce barriers” to obtaining CDLs. This allowed untold numbers of illegal aliens with poor English language skills – and next to no driving experience – to obtain commercial trucking licenses.
The Biden White House cited a “driver shortage” to justify the policy, though many smaller operators argue the real problem is retaining drivers and poor working conditions.
Biden’s plan lowered standards and put unvetted drivers on the road, essentially sacrificing safety to juice employment numbers. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration pledged more than $30 million to speed up CDL approvals, a move that prioritized volume over safety.
Raman Dhillon, CEO of the North American Punjabi Trucking Association, met with President Biden and DOT officials and warned that the plan would create a crisis. He described migrants with no U.S. driving experience being granted work permits and CDLs within months, a development he said was not just a trucking problem but “a national security issue.”
“A person crossing the border with no experience or nothing gets a work permit in two months, and within one month gets their CDL. Well, they never even drove a car in this country, so why are we doing this?” Dhillon said he asked the Biden administration.
Dhillon pointed out that some California-based trucking schools were sending applicants to Utah to take advantage of third-party examiners who allow unlimited test attempts, making it easier to obtain a CDL despite lacking basic competency.
He further said DMVs and schools issued licenses “left and right,” sometimes training drivers on box trucks instead of tractor-trailers or skipping key skills tests. Dhillon accused federal regulators of ignoring reports about these practices and allowing unqualified drivers onto the road.
His warnings were brushed aside as the administration leaned into the “driver shortage” narrative. Dhillon warned: “If your family or my family are driving and the truck driver coming behind doesn’t know English, and the sign says slow down and he doesn’t…”
That warning has now proven prescient as Singh, an illegal alien driver who failed basic competency tests in California, has taken the lives of three people in Florida.
Truckers have long voiced frustration about the dangers posed by colleagues who cannot communicate in English. Recent Overdrive polling found that 61 percent of truckers believe at least 15 percent of drivers cannot meet English standards, and three-quarters doubt foreign nationals can operate trucks safely under current rules.
The Trump administration has already pledged to crack down on truck drivers who can’t meet federal standards, and reiterated that promise following the deadly crash in Florida. In April, Trump signed an executive order directing federal agencies to enforce the English requirement for CDL holders. The order requires drivers who fail proficiency standards to be taken off the road and could bar them from obtaining licenses in the future.
“Proficiency in English… should be a non-negotiable safety requirement for professional drivers,” the order states, “Drivers need to provide feedback to their employers and customers and receive related directions in English. This is common sense.”
Trump’s order also calls for a review of state-issued licenses, with particular attention to sanctuary states that have issued CDLs to non-citizens.
The real tragedy of the deadly Florida crash was that it was entirely preventable and predictable. It was the foreseeable result of intentional choices by the Biden administration and Democrat sanctuary states that have made American roadways less safe.
The facts are that Singh should never have been on the road; he was in the country illegally, denied a work permit under Trump, and was unable to pass basic language and road sign tests. Yet the Biden administration granted him a work permit, California and Washington licensed him anyway, and New Mexico failed to enforce the law when it had the chance. All three states are run by Democrats.
This is a harrowing reminder of the cost of sanctuary state policies and the Biden administration’s permissive approach to immigration and licensing. Nobody can bring back the lives lost, but Trump’s directive may be a first step toward restoring enforcement and preventing future tragedies.
Sarah Katherine Sisk is a proud Hillsdale College alumna and a master’s student in economics at George Mason University. You can follow her on X @SKSisk76.
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