The Transportation Department is set to immediately tighten the requirements for non-citizens obtaining commercial drivers licenses following three fatal incidents this year, which officials attribute to immigrant truck drivers who should not have received licenses.
A nationwide review of these licenses started after a deadly U-turn crash in Florida, killing two, caused by a truck driver reportedly in the country illegally. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy cited additional fatal crashes earlier this year in Texas and Alabama, attributed to truck drivers lacking proper licenses.
Duffy also warned California of losing $160 million in federal funds because investigators revealed that out of the 145 commercial licenses for non-citizens issued since June, a quarter were granted improperly. California has 30 days to audit its program and propose compliance plans or face funding cuts.
Duffy highlighted the insufficiency of current rules and noted that several states are not adhering to them. The audit uncovered improperly issued licenses in California, Colorado, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Texas, and Washington.
“We have a government system designed to keep American families on the road safe. But that system has been compromised,” Duffy said.
In the past, Duffy also threatened to withdraw federal funding from California, Washington, and New Mexico for not enforcing the newly established English proficiency requirements for truckers. The Transportation Department continues to assess the responses from these states.
All states must pause issuing commercial drivers licenses to non-citizens until they can comply with the new rules.
Officials note that under the new rules, around 190,000 of the 200,000 non-citizens holding these commercial licenses wouldn’t qualify for one, although existing licenses will remain valid as rules aren’t retroactive. Moving forward, only applicants with an H-2a, H-2b, or E-2 visa can obtain a commercial driver’s license, with an employment authorization document alone no longer sufficient.
The Florida crash drew outrage from President Donald Trump and Duffy and inspired a political fight between the governors of Florida and California. It also put Sikh truck drivers in the crossfire because the truck driver in the Florida crash is a member of that faith.
On August 12, Harjinder Singh made the illegal turn from northbound lanes of Florida’s Turnpike about 50 miles (80 kilometers) north of West Palm Beach, the Florida Highway Patrol said. A minivan that was traveling behind him was unable to avoid the truck’s trailer, which blocked the northbound lanes.
Two passengers in the minivan died at the scene and the driver died at a hospital. Singh and a passenger in his truck were not injured.
Singh lived in California but he was originally issued a commercial driver’s license in Washington before California issued him a license later. The fallout from the crash fueled a verbal tussle between California Gov. Gavin Newsom and the Trump administration.
Singh is charged with three state counts of vehicular homicide and immigration violations. The federal government has asked that he be transferred to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody after his criminal case is complete.
Singh faces an arraignment hearing Monday on charges of vehicular homicide and manslaughter, according to court records in St. Lucie County, Florida.
Singh has retained a private lawyer, Natalie Knight-Tai, to represent him, records show.
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Associated Press Writer Jeff Martin contributed to this report.
