The Trump administration is threatening to cut federal funding from three states unless they tighten English language regulations for commercial truck drivers.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy warned Tuesday that he would withhold federal funds from California, Washington and New Mexico if the Democrat-led states did not “adopt and enforce” English Language Proficiency requirements for commercial motor vehicle drivers, according to an announcement from the Department of Transportation (DOT). All three states have 30 days to become compliant before the DOT blocks millions in funding from the Motor Carrier Safety Assistance Program.
The announcement follows an ongoing federal investigation into a fatal highway accident in Florida earlier in August, allegedly caused by an illegal migrant truck driver who failed basic English and road signs tests.
“States don’t get to pick and choose which federal safety rules to follow,” Duffy said in a prepared public statement. “As we saw with the horrific Florida crash that killed three, when states fail to enforce the law, they put the driving public in danger.”
“Under President Trump’s leadership, we are taking aggressive action to close these safety gaps, hold states accountable, and make sure every commercial driver on the road is qualified to operate a 40-ton vehicle,” Duffy continued.
Harjinder Singh, an illegal migrant from India who obtained a Commercial Driver’s License in California, was charged with three counts of vehicular homicide after allegedly making an illegal turn through an “Official Use Only” access point along a Florida highway, blocking all lanes. A vehicle smashed into Singh’s truck during the turn, resulting in all three people in the car being killed.
An Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detainer request has been lodged for the Indian national. ICE agents have since arrested Harneet Singh, Harjinder’s brother, who was riding in the truck at the time of the accident. Like his brother, Harneet also entered the U.S. unlawfully.
Following the fatal accident, investigators discovered that Singh has incredibly poor knowledge of both the English language and American road signs, prompting questions as to how he obtained a state-issued Commercial Driver’s License (CDL).
California, Washington and New Mexico are failing to properly take drivers out of service for English Language Proficiency violations, according to an investigation by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. All three states received official notices on Tuesday, informing them they stand to lose millions of dollars in federal funds if they do not demonstrate “full compliance” with the English language standards.
“This driver in Florida [Singh] had received a CDL in Washington, California and was pulled over in July for speeding, and no doubt couldn’t speak the English language, and law enforcement in New Mexico did not take his rig out of service,” Duffy said during a public press conference. “So this one driver touched all three states.”
English proficiency in the industry has been a priority of the White House, with President Donald Trump issuing an executive order in April requiring higher English standards for truck drivers. Duffy signed his own order in May outlining new guidance to enforce English standards for truck drivers.
Large segments of the Indian community have come out in support of Singh in the wake of the accident.
A public Change.org petition calling for leniency for the illegal migrant has amassed more than three million signatures, largely signed by members of the Indian and Punjabi community. Harsimrat Kaur Badal, an Indian lawmaker and member of a Sikh-centric political party, publicly called on India’s foreign minister to advocate on behalf of Singh’s interests in the criminal case.
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