Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced on Thursday that his department was immediately pausing all issuance of worker visas for commercial truck drivers.
“The increasing number of foreign drivers operating large tractor-trailer trucks on U.S. roads is endangering American lives and undercutting the livelihoods of American truckers,” wrote Rubio.
Concerns over foreigners driving big rigs on American roads came to a head on Saturday after Harjinder Singh, a 28-year-old illegal alien from India, allegedly killed three people on the Florida Turnpike near Fort Pierce while driving a tractor-trailer.
According to the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles, “It is evident that the driver of the commercial semi-truck recklessly, and without regard for the safety of others, attempted to execute a U-turn utilizing an unauthorized location. As a result of his actions, the three occupants of the minivan are now deceased.”
Singh, who has been charged with three counts of vehicular homicide, reportedly stole into the country in 2018 and, despite getting fast-tracked for deportation by the first Trump administration, managed to stick around.
U.S. Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy announced on Tuesday that the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration launched an investigation into the crash.
The U.S. Department of Transportation has confirmed that Singh was granted a regular full-term commercial driver’s license in Washington State on July 15, 2023. Almost exactly a year later, Singh was issued a limited-term/non-domiciled commercial driver’s license in Democrat Governor Gavin Newsom’s California.
While Singh was issued a speeding ticket by New Mexico State Police in July, the DOT indicated that there is no indication that an English language proficiency assessment was conducted, despite the requirement being in effect since June 25.
During his post-crash Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration interview, Singh flunked the ELP assessment, providing correct responses to only two of 12 verbal questions and only accurately identifying one of 4 highway traffic signs.
“If states had followed the rules, this driver would never have been behind the wheel and three precious lives would still be with us,” said Duffy. “This crash was a preventable tragedy directly caused by reckless decisions and compounded by despicable failures. Non-enforcement and radical immigration policies have turned the trucking industry into a lawless frontier, resulting in unqualified foreign drivers improperly acquiring licenses to operate 40-ton vehicles.”
‘The increasing number of foreign drivers operating large tractor-trailer trucks on U.S. roads raises serious concerns for public safety.’
The transportation secretary vowed to use every tool at his disposal to hold the offending states and bad actors accountable, stressing that “the families of the deceased deserve justice.”
A DOT spokesperson confirmed in a statement to Blaze News that Duffy’s department has combined efforts with its partners in the Departments of Homeland Security and State Department “to keep our roads safe.”
“This administration is pulling every lever to deliver on President Trump’s promise to keep the American people safe and restore common sense in our country,” said the DOT spokesperson. “Foreign drivers must be able to comply with American rules on American roads. That’s common sense.”
While America’s roads fall under Duffy’s purview, Rubio has the ability to prevent foreign nationals from coming to the U.S. for the purpose of driving big rigs.
A State Department spokesperson told Blaze News that “detecting and preventing entry of individuals who pose a threat to U.S. national security or public safety is critical to protecting Americans in our homeland.”
“The increasing number of foreign drivers operating large tractor-trailer trucks on U.S. roads raises serious concerns for public safety and threatens the livelihoods of American truckers,” continued the spokesperson. “We are taking this action to protect American lives and safeguard U.S. national security and foreign policy interests.”
With the safety of American citizens in mind, the State Department will not — for the foreseeable future — process work visas for applicants who seek to operate commercial trucks in the U.S. This pause will afford the Departments of State, Labor, and Homeland Security time to consider and make necessary updates to their relevant screening and vetting protocols.
The pause in visa processing applies to applicants of all nationalities who seek to operate commercial trucks in the H-2B, E-2, and EB-3 visa classifications.
Applicants who do not presently hold valid visas will undergo thorough vetting. Those who fail to make the cut will have their petitions returned to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services or be denied a visa.
“The Department will take all necessary steps to protect public safety, including on America’s roads,” said the State Department spokesperson.
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