Florida Sues California Washington Over Illegal Immigrant Truck Licenses After Fatal Crash

Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier has filed a lawsuit with the U.S. Supreme Court against California and Washington, accusing them of violating federal immigration and safety laws by issuing commercial driver’s licenses (CDLs) to illegal immigrants. The lawsuit follows a fatal August crash on Florida’s Turnpike involving Harjinder Singh, an undocumented immigrant licensed in both California and Washington, who caused a crash resulting in three deaths while performing an illegal U-turn. The suit alleges that both states ignore federal requirements for CDL issuance, including English proficiency and proper training, thereby endangering citizens across state lines. In response, the U.S. Department of Transportation has imposed new regulations demanding English proficiency tests for commercial drivers and has withheld millions in federal funding from California, Washington, and New Mexico for noncompliance. Florida officials emphasize that failure to enforce these standards has led to tragic consequences, with Singh facing vehicular homicide charges in Florida. The controversy highlights broader tensions between federal immigration enforcement and state policies on licensing commercial drivers.