Florida truck crash sparks SC battle over immigrant driver licences

Florida officials are pushing the US Supreme Court to prevent states from issuing commercial driver’s licences (CDLs) to people who are not US citizens or legal residents, following a deadly truck crash by an Indian-origin man that killed three people in August. The case has reignited a national debate about road safety, immigration laws, and who should be allowed to operate large commercial vehicles on American highways.

 

Truck driver failed CDL test 10 times before deadly crash

 

A Florida investigation revealed that Harjinder Singh, the truck driver accused of causing the fatal accident on Florida’s Turnpike near Fort Pierce, failed the commercial driver’s licence test 10 times in Washington state in 2023 before being granted one. Singh, who is from India, later obtained a California CDL and was carrying it at the time of the crash, according to court documents.

 

He allegedly attempted an illegal U-turn from the northbound lanes when a minivan collided with his truck, killing its driver and two passengers. Singh and a passenger in his vehicle escaped unharmed. He is currently being held without bond at St. Lucie County Jail, with his next court appearance set for November 13.

 

A senior official in Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier’s office, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the repeated test failures raise “serious concerns” about the integrity of the CDL testing process. Washington and California state officials have yet to comment on the case.

 

Florida petitions Supreme Court to restrict immigrant CDL access

 

Florida is using Singh’s case to petition the US Supreme Court to block states such as California and Washington from issuing CDLs to undocumented immigrants.

 

In its petition filed this month, the state accused these western states of showing “open defiance of federal immigration laws” and failing to uphold public safety. Florida argues that such licensing practices amount to a “public nuisance” — a legal term often used for issues like illegal drug activity or hazardous properties but now being applied to immigration-related concerns.

 

If the court agrees to hear the case, a ruling could set a precedent that limits state powers to issue CDLs to noncitizens and might also affect how regular driver’s licences are granted to immigrants, officials said.

 

Another fatal crash in California raises alarm

 

In a separate incident this week, another Indian-origin truck driver, Jashanpreet Singh, was arrested after an eight-vehicle collision in Ontario, California, that left three people dead and four injured.

 

Authorities said Singh, who allegedly entered the US illegally in 2022, was under the influence of drugs when his tractor-trailer failed to stop on Interstate 10, triggering a fiery chain-reaction crash. The US Department of Homeland Security confirmed his immigration status in a post on X (formerly Twitter).

 

The crash has intensified criticism of California’s licensing system and reignited calls for stricter background checks for truck drivers.

 

Federal crackdown on immigrant truck drivers

 

In response to multiple fatal incidents involving immigrant drivers, the US Transportation Department tightened CDL rules for noncitizens in September.

 

The new regulations restrict eligibility to three categories of visa holders and require states to verify immigration status through a federal database. Licences will be valid for up to one year or until a visa expires, whichever comes first.

 

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy and President Donald Trump have both criticised states like California for their “lax” policies. “The truth is I think we have a lot of abuse in the commercial driver's licence issuing space,” Duffy said in a Fox News interview on Friday.

 

Referring to Harjinder Singh, Duffy said, “He didn’t speak English and couldn’t read road signs. So the question becomes … how in the heck can you ever pass a test for a commercial driver's licence? You can’t do it but for fraud.”

 

Growing scrutiny of CDL regulations

 

Both the Florida and California crashes have prompted renewed calls for nationwide oversight of CDL testing and verification processes. Officials say inconsistencies between states have allowed unqualified drivers to slip through regulatory gaps, putting public safety at risk.

 

Florida’s legal move could determine how far states can go in granting driving privileges to noncitizens, a decision that could reshape commercial transportation laws and immigration policy across the country.

 

(With inputs from PTI)