In brief
In response to three deadly accidents this year attributed to immigrant truck drivers lacking proper licenses, the U.S. Transportation Department will enforce stricter licensing rules for non-citizens. An audit revealed serious violations in various states, prompting a warning to California regarding federal funding. The new regulations will limit eligibility to certain visa holders only.
The Transportation Department will immediately tighten the requirements for non-citizens to obtain commercial drivers licenses following three fatal crashes linked to immigrant truck drivers lacking valid documentation. The decision comes after a nationwide audit revealed that many licenses were granted improperly, especially in states like California and Texas.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy pointed to a tragic U-turn accident in Florida, which killed two individuals. The driver involved was found to be in the country illegally and had obtained a license despite not meeting the legal criteria.
California is currently under scrutiny, with Duffy threatening to revoke $160 million in federal funding if the state fails to enhance its auditing processes. The audit discovered that 25% of non-citizen licenses reviewed from California were improperly issued.
The audit findings indicated that licenses were also issued unlawfully in Colorado, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Texas, and Washington. Duffy stressed the necessity of having stringent regulations in place to ensure public safety, stating, We have a government system designed to keep American families on the road safe. But that system has been compromised.
The forthcoming regulations will require all states to halt the issuance of commercial drivers licenses to non-citizens until compliance measures are established. Importantly, eligibility for such licenses will be confined to holders of H-2a, H-2b, or E-2 visas, excluding those with only employment authorization documents.
The Florida crash involving Harjinder Singh, a member of the Sikh community, ignited political tensions between the governors of California and Florida. After making an illegal turn, Singh's actions tragically led to the deaths of three individuals in a minivan. He is now facing multiple charges, including vehicular homicide and immigration violations.
