The trucking industry in the United States is facing a seismic shift as federal and state governments clash over the enforcement of English language requirements and immigration status for commercial drivers. The debate, fueled by a deadly crash in Florida earlier this month and a new state policy turning all of Florida’s commercial truck weigh stations into immigration checkpoints, is sending shockwaves through carrier offices, truck stops, and state capitols from coast to coast.
On August 26, 2025, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy delivered a stern warning: California, Washington, and New Mexico could lose millions in federal funding if they don’t enforce newly mandated English language requirements for truckers. According to the Associated Press, this move follows an investigation into a fatal Florida accident, where truck driver Harjinder Singh, a native of India in the U.S. illegally, made an illegal U-turn that killed three people. Duffy argued that Singh should never have been issued a commercial driver’s license (CDL) due to both his immigration status and his inability to demonstrate English proficiency.
“States don’t get to pick and choose which federal safety rules to follow,” Duffy stated, emphasizing that the recent tragedy underscores the dangers of lax enforcement. The rules in question took effect in June 2025, following an executive order by former President Donald Trump. They require truck drivers to prove they can recognize and read road signs and communicate with authorities in English. If states fail to comply within 30 days, California could lose $33 million, Washington $10.5 million, and New Mexico $7 million from the Motor Carrier Safety Assistance Program.
California’s record is particularly under scrutiny. Since the rules took effect, the state has conducted approximately 34,000 inspections, finding at least one violation in each case. Yet only one driver was taken out of service for an English language violation. Washington, with over 6,000 safety violations found, removed just four drivers for English language issues. New Mexico hasn’t taken any drivers off the road for such violations. Duffy pointed out that 23 drivers flagged for violations in other states were nonetheless allowed to keep driving after inspections in California.
Meanwhile, the fallout from the Florida crash continues to reverberate. Singh is being held without bond, facing three counts of vehicular homicide and immigration violations. The Department of Homeland Security confirmed that Singh entered the U.S. illegally from Mexico in 2018. Despite this, he was granted CDLs by both Washington and California, states where licensing policies are more permissive. California, for example, issues licenses regardless of immigration status—a policy championed by Governor Gavin Newsom, who argues it helps people work, visit doctors, and travel safely. Newsom’s office noted that Singh obtained a work permit during Trump’s presidency, a claim disputed by Homeland Security officials.
Diamond R. Litty, the elected public defender in St. Lucie County, Florida, said her office was provisionally assigned to Singh’s case and will focus on the criminal charges. “Unfortunately, Mr. Singh has been caught in the crosshairs of politics,” Litty remarked, highlighting the intense scrutiny and public attention surrounding the case.
While the federal government is pressuring states to tighten up, Florida has charted its own course. As of late August 2025, all 27 of Florida’s commercial truck weigh stations have been converted into immigration checkpoints, with ICE agents now working alongside the Florida Highway Patrol and Department of Transportation enforcement. The aim, as reported by FreightWaves and echoed across major outlets, is to identify undocumented immigrants operating commercial vehicles and remove drivers lacking legal presence or with fraudulent CDLs.
Governor Ron DeSantis has framed the move as a matter of state-level protection. “Florida will not sit idly by while the federal government ignores the border crisis,” he declared. For many Floridians—and a surprising number of truck drivers themselves—this is a welcome development. “If you can’t read a sign, you shouldn’t be hauling 80,000 pounds down the road,” said one driver in a widely shared online forum post. Safety, not politics, is the rallying cry for many in the industry. They point to concerns about fraudulent CDL mills, language barriers, and insufficient training as threats to everyone on the road.
Yet for all the support, the policy’s rollout has raised serious concerns about fairness and practicality. Traditionally, weigh stations focused on safety: axle weights, brake systems, hours-of-service logs, and the like. Now, with ICE agents scrutinizing credentials and questioning drivers about their legal status and English proficiency, the risk of delays and detentions—even for lawful, fully compliant drivers—has grown. Small fleet operators and owner-operators are especially vulnerable. If a driver is held for hours due to a document check or language assessment, loads can be delayed, perishable goods can spoil, and the financial impact can be devastating for businesses with thin margins.
“The problem is execution, not intent,” industry observers note. Large carriers may have the resources to absorb these disruptions, but small operators don’t have legal teams or spare drivers to cover sudden detentions. The ripple effect could extend to shippers and brokers, who might start avoiding Florida routes to minimize risk, potentially leading to broader disruptions in freight logistics.
The precedent set by Florida is already sparking debate about what comes next. Could other states follow suit, adding citizenship checks in Texas or language fluency assessments in Georgia? The expansion of weigh station duties beyond traditional safety checks introduces new layers of subjectivity and uncertainty. As one industry analyst put it, “Every time we add a layer of enforcement at the roadside, we shift the weight downstream.”
Supporters of the new measures argue that strict enforcement is essential for public safety and upholding the rule of law. “You can support the rule of law and still be worried about how consistently it’s enforced,” a FreightWaves editorial observed. Critics, meanwhile, warn that the policies risk unfairly targeting compliant drivers, increasing costs, and potentially eroding trust between regulators and the industry. The American trucking landscape is, after all, built on a delicate balance of enforcement and fairness. If that balance tips too far in one direction, the consequences could be far-reaching.
As the 30-day deadline for state compliance looms and Florida’s new checkpoints become the talk of the industry, one thing is clear: the debate over trucker licensing, English proficiency, and immigration enforcement is far from settled. The coming weeks will reveal whether states adapt to federal demands, whether Florida’s approach spreads, and how America’s trucking community navigates the road ahead.
