U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy has announced sweeping emergency measures to restrict the issuing of non-domiciled commercial driver’s licences (CDLs) following a string of deadly crashes involving foreign drivers.
The new rule, effective immediately, bans states from granting CDLs to non-citizens unless they hold valid employment visas and pass mandatory immigration checks through the federal SAVE system. Licences must also expire within one year or when a driver’s lawful presence ends, whichever comes first.
“What our team has discovered should disturb and anger every American,” Duffy said.
“Licences to operate massive, 80,000-pound trucks are being issued to dangerous foreign drivers – often times illegally. This is a direct threat to the safety of every family on the road.”
California was singled out as the worst offender, with federal investigators finding more than a quarter of non-domiciled CDLs reviewed had been improperly issued.
The Department of Transportation has ordered California to immediately halt the issuing of non-domiciled CDLs, audit all outstanding licences, and revoke any that fail to meet the new federal standards. The state has 30 days to comply or risk losing nearly $160 million in federal highway funding, a figure that would double in the second year of non-compliance.
“California’s reckless disregard is frankly disgusting and an affront to the millions of Americans who expect us to keep them safe,” Duffy warned.
“If California doesn’t comply, I will not hesitate to pull millions in funding.”
The crackdown comes amid heightened scrutiny of truck licensing rules. Since January, at least five fatal crashes involving non-domiciled CDL holders have been reported, including a Texas pile-up in March that killed five people and an August crash in Florida that claimed three lives.
Officials confirmed that Harjinder Singh, an Indian national who entered the US illegally in 2018, failed an English test and traffic sign assessment but was still issued a California commercial driver’s licence. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) announced that Harneet Singh, 25, who was a passenger in the semi-truck at the time of the deadly wreck, was also been taken into custody.
The crash, which occurred on 12 August near mile marker 171 in St. Lucie County, happened when Harjinder Singh attempted to make an illegal U-turn through an “official use only” median cut reserved for emergency vehicles. His 18-wheeler blocked all northbound lanes, forcing a Chrysler Town & Country minivan to slam into the trailer.
Two passengers – a 37-year-old woman from Pompano Beach and a 54-year-old man from Miami – died at the scene, while the 30-year-old driver from Florida City later died in hospital.
It was reported that Singh and his brother Harneet escaped unharmed and later fled Florida, flying to California on 13 August. A nationwide manhunt ensued, with the U.S. Marshals Service capturing Harjinder Singh in Stockton on 16 August. He now faces three counts of vehicular homicide and is being held on an ICE detainer.
The move builds on President Donald Trump’s executive orders earlier this year emphasising stricter highway safety standards, including enforcing English-language proficiency for truck drivers and strengthening oversight of state licensing systems.
Duffy insisted the measures were necessary to protect the public:
“America First means safety first. Unsafe foreign drivers will no longer be allowed to put American families at risk on our highways.”
Other states, including Colorado, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Texas and Washington, were also cited for irregularities in issuing non-domiciled CDLs and may face enforcement actions in the coming months.
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