Florida AG seeks immigration crackdown on California, Washington trucker licenses after deadly crash

Transportation Secretary cracks down on states over truck driver English rules

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy announced enforcement actions against California, Washington, and New Mexico for failing to follow the Trump Administration?s English proficiency standards for commercial truck drivers. The move comes after a deadly Florida crash raised concerns about how states are enforcing the new federal requirements.

ORLANDO, Fla. - Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier is calling on the United States Department of Transportation (DOT) to suspend commercial driver’s license programs in California and Washington, arguing the states are failing to enforce federal English-language requirements for truck drivers.

DOT cracking down on states over CDL programs

What we know:

The request comes after a deadly crash on Florida’s Turnpike earlier this month involving Harjinder Singh, a truck driver investigators say was in the country illegally, who could not speak English, and did not recognize basic road signs. Singh attempted an illegal U-turn on Aug. 12, triggering a collision that killed two passengers and the driver of a minivan.

Crash prompts Florida crackdown on undocumented drivers

A deadly crash on the Florida Turnpike last week has prompted state officials to tighten enforcement against undocumented drivers, following reports that the truck driver involved held a commercial driver?s license despite being in the country illegally.

‘Sanctuary states are putting Floridians’ lives at risk’

What they're saying:

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said Tuesday that an investigation uncovered "significant failures" in how California, Washington and New Mexico are enforcing new licensing rules tied to a June executive order signed by President Donald Trump. He warned the states could lose millions of dollars in federal funding if they do not comply.

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Uthmeier, in a letter sent Monday to Duffy, urged the agency to take stronger action, including decertifying California’s and Washington’s Commercial Driver's License (CDL) programs. 

"Sanctuary states are putting Floridians’ lives at risk," he wrote. "We are ready to work with the Trump administration to ensure there are serious consequences."

Attorney General Uthmeier's letter to Transportation Secretary Duffy:

Ignoring standards?

What they're saying:

Under federal law, applicants for a CDL must demonstrate English proficiency and the ability to read and understand road signs. Uthmeier argues that sanctuary jurisdictions are ignoring those standards by issuing CDLs and non-domiciled CDLs to foreign nationals who are not eligible.

Truck driver accused in deadly Florida U-turn crash back in Florida

Harjinder Singh, the man accused of killing three people after he allegedly made an illegal U-turn on the Florida Turnpike, has been extradited to Florida. Singh's brother has also been arrested on charges related to the deadly crash.

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The Florida AG said he will hold Singh’s employer accountable under state law, but warned that similar tragedies will continue unless the federal government penalizes states that fail to enforce licensing rules.