Florida will now turn all truck weigh stations into immigration checkpoints following the fatal big-rig crash involving Harjinder Singh, an undocumented Indian-origin driver, state officials announced Monday.
Attorney General James Uthmeier said the move is part of a new partnership between federal agencies and Florida’s agricultural inspection stations along major highways.
Speaking at a press conference in Live Oak, Uthmeier pointed to “the serious tragedy that happened down in southeast Florida” as a wake-up call.
“Someone that should never have been given a driver’s license, much less a CDL license to drive larger commercial vehicles, engaged in reckless behavior that took three lives,” Uthmeier said, surrounded by law-enforcement officials.
The expanded enforcement will include new lanes for truck pullovers in North Florida, additional technology such as advanced X-ray scanners to inspect cargo, and a fresh checkpoint near the Florida–Alabama border on Highway 231.
On Sunday, another undocumented migrant was caught driving a commercial truck in Bay County, intensifying concerns. “There’s no telling how many illegal aliens are in this country driving large commercial vehicles and putting American families in a safety risk every single day,” Uthmeier warned.
The policy shift comes after Singh, who had entered the US illegally and applied for asylum, allegedly caused a fatal collision on the Florida Turnpike on 12 August. Investigators say Singh attempted an illegal U-turn in his semi-truck near Fort Pierce, slamming into a Chrysler Town & Country minivan. The van was crushed under the trailer, killing three people — two at the scene and the driver later in hospital.
It was reported that Singh fled to California after the crash but was tracked down by U.S. Marshals and extradited back to Florida. He now faces six charges, including three counts of manslaughter. Judge Lauren Sweet denied him bail on Saturday, calling him an unauthorised alien and a “substantial flight risk.” He remains in custody at St. Lucie County Jail under an ICE hold, with a deportation order issued after his prison term.
Uthmeier also said he has written to Transportation Secretary Duffy urging the suspension of California and Washington’s commercial driver’s licence programs, arguing that sanctuary states are endangering Floridians’ lives and vowing to work with the Trump administration to impose consequences.
The case has drawn international attention after it emerged that Singh failed an English language test — correctly answering only two of 12 verbal questions and recognising just one of four road signs — yet was still granted a California commercial driver’s licence to operate an 18-wheeler.
His brother Harneet Singh, 25, who was a passenger in the truck at the time of the crash, was also arrested by ICE on 18 August as an undocumented migrant. He now faces removal proceedings.
The Department of Homeland Security said it will tighten coordination with the U.S. Department of Transportation to prevent illegal migrants from obtaining commercial licences in so-called sanctuary states.
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