Secretary of State Marco Rubio has ordered a freeze on all work visas for commercial truck drivers. This follows an August 12 pile-up on a Florida highway caused by an 18-wheeler driven by an illegal immigrant attempting an illegal U-turn across a median strip.
In a message on X, the social media platform formerly called Twitter, Secretary Rubio said, "Effective immediately we are pausing all issuance of worker visas for commercial truck drivers. The increasing number of foreign drivers operating large tractor-trailer trucks on U.S. roads is endangering American lives and undercutting the livelihoods of American truckers."
Effective immediately we are pausing all issuance of worker visas for commercial truck drivers.
— Secretary Marco Rubio (@SecRubio) August 21, 2025
The increasing number of foreign drivers operating large tractor-trailer trucks on U.S. roads is endangering American lives and undercutting the livelihoods of American truckers.
As reported by my colleague Becky Noble (see Details in Deadly Florida Semi Accident Get More Horrific As Several States May Be Responsible – RedState), even though the driver was an illegal, he had been issued a commercial driver's license by two states.
Harjinder Singh, the truck driver in this horrific accident, is an illegal immigrant from India who entered the U.S. from Mexico in 2018. If a U.S. citizen wants to be a commercial truck driver, they have to pass a written test, complete a driving test, and undergo a training period. Not so much for illegals, it seems.
In 2024, Singh was issued a limited-term/non-domiciled CDL, a permit that would be issued to someone who can legally work in the U.S. but is not a citizen. So, even though he is here illegally, he is deemed by the state of California to be eligible for this license. It gets better. A year earlier, the state of Washington issued Singh a regular full-term commercial driver's license (CDL). Department of Transportation rules state that asylum seekers and those without legal status are ineligible for this type of license.
There's still more. On July 3, about a month before the Florida crash, Singh was stopped for speeding in New Mexico, where State Police gave him a roadside inspection. There is nothing to suggest that Singh was given an English language proficiency (ELP) test when he was stopped. In an interview with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCS), Singh was given an ELP test and failed, getting only two of twelve verbal questions correct and identifying just one of four highway traffic signs. Two days after the crash, the FMCS began an on-site compliance investigation into Singh's employer, White Hawk Carriers in California.
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration states that it is illegal to hold a commercial driver's license from more than one state. So, either Singh surrendered his Washington license when California issued him a new one in 2024, or he was again in violation of the law. But when you're facing three counts of vehicular homicide, you can probably suck up a license violation.
RELATED:
The Florida wreck, sadly, was just another fatal accident caused by unqualified foreign drivers on America's highways.
A loaded semi in May struck four vehicles from behind that were stopped for a red light in the southbound lane of Highway 43 at the intersection of South Industrial Park Drive in Thomasville, Alabama. The driver of the truck and another man off duty inside the cab were in the U.S. on work visas and neither spoke English. Two people died in that wreck.
In this case, in Austin, the driver was released on $7,000 bond and is currently not facing charges.
🚨 A non-citizen truck driver — who couldn’t speak English and was driving on a foreign CDL — just killed 5 Americans…
— Tony Lane 🇺🇸 (@TonyLaneNV) May 1, 2025
And they let him walk free.
Let that sink in.
5 lives lost. No justice.
How did we get here? ⬇️ 🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/n1MeSUmck6
According to the FMCSA, approximately 16 percent of all CDL holders are foreign nationals. The percentage of those comprising illegals is unclear, but there is no reason for any non-citizen without a green card to be issued a CDL. Federal regulations require foreign CDL holders to demonstrate some proficiency in English and to be familiar with American traffic signs. That law was waived by President Obama in 2016. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy reestablished the rule in April.
“Federal law is clear, a driver who cannot sufficiently read or speak English—our national language—and understand road signs is unqualified to drive a commercial motor vehicle in America. This commonsense standard should have never been abandoned,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy. “This Department will always put America’s truck drivers first.”
These actions followed the signing of President Trump’s “Enforcing Commonsense Rules of the Road for America’s Truck Drivers.” As part of the executive order, the Department of Transportation will also review non-domiciled commercial driver's licenses (CDLs) to identify any unusual patterns or other suspicious irregularities.
That rule went into effect on June 25. But enforcement seems to have been lax. As I noted above, Singh failed an English proficiency and basic traffic signs test in July and should've had his license suspended. But diversity is our strength, don't you know?
Beyond safety, given the external threats faced by our nation, it is utterly insane that any foreign truck drivers are allowed on our roads. In June, Russia lost at least a third of its strategic bomber force to a Ukrainian drone strike that was launched from semi-trucks hauling drone-filled trailers; see Massive Ukrainian Drone Attack Deletes a Third of Russia's Bomber Fleet and Sends a Warning to the U.S. – RedState. To think that China, or some other actor, can't or won't do the same to us is beyond stupid.
The company employing Singh has been shut down. However, many more carriers operate fleets driven by unqualified aliens. Even more insidious is the network of "workforce development" non-profits and agencies that provide non-citizens with minimal training to pass as truck drivers.
There’s no mystery to how foreign drivers have infiltrated America’s trucking industry. It’s the result of a calculated, well-financed agenda.
— may be danielle 💻🚛🇺🇸 (@maybedanielleee) July 30, 2025
“Workforce Development Programs” = CDL training pipelines designed for refugees.
Publicly subsidized tuition assistance. Federal,… pic.twitter.com/Od88YO4Ov2
And states that don't care enough about public safety to make non-citizens adhere to the same standards as citizens when applying for a CDL.
🚨THESE STATES HAVE MADE OUR HIGHWAYS UNSAFE
— American Truckers 🚛🦅 (@atutruckers) August 19, 2025
The following states are issuing thousands of Non-Domicile CDLs to Non-Citizen truck drivers and then dispatching them into your hometowns.
California
Minnesota
New York
Pennsylvania
Illinois
Oregon
Nevada
Ohio
Florida
Texas pic.twitter.com/tcMNwiRUNE
RedState is your leading source for news and views on administration, politics, culture, and conservatism. If you appreciate our reporting and commentary, please consider becoming a member and supporting our efforts. Use promo code FIGHT to get 60% off your membership.
Join the conversation as a VIP Member