The asylum and licensing rort surrounding Harjinder Singh, the illegal immigrant accused of killing three people in a fiery crash on Florida’s Turnpike, has widened after federal authorities confirmed the arrest of his younger brother.
On Friday, 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, had also been taken into custody.
Officials confirmed Harneet is in the country illegally and was first detained on Monday before being placed in ICE custody on 18 August. He now faces removal proceedings.
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.
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.
Lt. Gov. Jay Collins personally oversaw Singh’s extradition back to Florida, posting photos of the handcuffed truck driver being escorted onto a plane. “Three people lost their lives as a result of his recklessness,” said Dave Kerner, executive director of the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles.
“Countless friends and family members will experience the pain of their loss forever.”
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) later confirmed that Harjinder Singh, an Indian national, had entered the U.S. illegally in 2018. He failed an English Language Proficiency test—answering only two of 12 questions correctly and recognising just one of four traffic signs—yet was still granted a California commercial driver’s licence to operate an 18-wheeler. His work authorisation was denied under the Trump Administration in 2020 but later approved under the Biden Administration in 2021.
The revelations have fuelled a bitter political row. Tricia McLaughlin, Assistant Secretary at DHS, condemned California’s licensing policies: “Three innocent people were killed in Florida because Gavin Newsom’s California DMV issued an illegal alien a Commercial Driver’s License—this state of governance is asinine. Secretary Noem and DHS are working around the clock to protect the public and get these criminal illegal aliens out of America.”
Governor Newsom’s office hit back, accusing DHS of scapegoating: “the federal government (TRUMP ADMIN) already confirmed that this guy meets federal and state immigration requirements – YOU issued him a work permit,” his office tweeted.
McLaughlin later clarified that Singh’s asylum claim had allowed him to remain in the country after crossing illegally in 2018, with shifting work authorisations under different administrations.
Meanwhile, Border Patrol records show Harneet Singh was also previously encountered by federal agents in May 2023 but was released into the U.S. under the Biden Administration. ICE now says he will remain in custody pending removal.
Based on these reports, Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced a freeze on issuing worker visas for commercial truck drivers, saying the surge of foreign drivers on American roads is “endangering American lives and undercutting the livelihoods of American truckers.”
With both brothers now detained, the case has reignited debate over asylum loopholes, commercial licensing failures, and immigration enforcement. DHS officials confirmed that stepped-up checks at weigh stations and truck stops are “on the table” to prevent similar tragedies.
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