US Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy has defended the Trump administration’s tough new crackdown on English proficiency standards for commercial truck drivers, saying the move is essential to keeping American roads safe.
Duffy’s comments came after a California news outlet featured an Indian citizen who has been banned from driving trucks under the updated rules restricting who can obtain non-domiciled commercial learner’s permits (CLPs) and commercial driver’s licences (CDLs).
The Department of Transportation (DOT) criticised California for what it called “gross negligence,” alleging that over 25% of CDLs issued to noncitizens or non-permanent residents were improperly granted.
The truck driver in question spoke to reporters in Punjabi and Hindi, which drew Duffy’s ire. “Crocodile tears for a man who has spent a decade in our country but couldn’t be bothered to learn our language,” Duffy posted on X.
“Our new rules will keep you and your family SAFE on America’s roads!”
The DOT backed Duffy’s stance, writing,
“This driver has been in the U.S. for TEN YEARS and does not know enough English to qualify for a trucking licence. This is exactly why @SecDuffy ordered @FMCSA to crack down on English proficiency standards.”
A Senate bill introduced by Republican Senator Cynthia Lummis of Wyoming seeks to cement these rules into law. It would require all prospective truck drivers to demonstrate basic English proficiency before being issued a CDL.
The proposed legislation codifies President Donald Trump’s executive order and sets benchmarks ensuring drivers can converse in English, read traffic signs, respond to official inquiries, and make written entries in reports and records.
The renewed focus on English standards follows an August tragedy in Florida, where an illegal immigrant truck driver with limited English allegedly caused a fatal crash that killed three people. The DOT later said the driver failed an English language proficiency assessment, answering only two of 12 verbal questions correctly and recognising just one of four highway traffic signs.
In August, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) lodged a detainer against Harjinder Singh in Florida after his arrest for three counts of vehicular homicide. Earlier, Duffy had announced sweeping emergency measures to restrict the issuing of non-domiciled CDLs following a string of deadly crashes involving foreign drivers.
Reports indicate Singh and his brother Harneet escaped unharmed and 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.
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