Two devastating crashes involving commercial truck drivers in Florida and California this year have sparked a fierce national debate over state licensing practices, immigrant eligibility for commercial driver’s licenses (CDLs), and the enforcement of federal safety regulations. Both incidents, occurring just months apart, resulted in the deaths of three people each and have placed the spotlight squarely on the intersection of immigration, public safety, and state compliance with federal law.
According to ABC News and The Associated Press, the first tragedy unfolded on August 12, 2025, near Fort Pierce, Florida. Harjinder Singh, a commercial truck driver originally from India, was charged with killing three people after attempting an illegal U-turn on Florida’s Turnpike. A minivan behind Singh’s 18-wheeler was unable to stop in time, crashing into the side of the semi and resulting in the deaths of the van’s driver and two passengers. Singh and a passenger in his truck were uninjured.
Investigators with the Florida Attorney General’s Office revealed that Singh, who had crossed the southern border illegally in 2018, failed his CDL written test a staggering 10 times between March 10 and May 5, 2023, in Washington state before finally being issued a license. He also failed his air brakes knowledge exam twice. Despite these repeated failures and struggles with English proficiency, Singh ultimately received his CDL in Washington and later obtained another from California. At the time of the Florida crash, he was carrying a valid California CDL.
Body camera footage obtained by Fox News and released in August captured an earlier incident, on July 3, 2025, when Singh was pulled over for speeding in New Mexico. The footage showed Singh struggling to communicate with the state police officer due to his limited English, a detail that has become a focal point in the case. Officials investigating the Florida wreck said Singh had failed English and road sign tests, raising questions about how he was able to secure his license in the first place.
Just weeks later, the nation was rocked by another deadly crash on October 21, 2025, this time on the I-10 Freeway in San Bernardino County, California. The driver, 21-year-old Jashanpreet Singh, another Indian national who entered the U.S. illegally in 2022, allegedly plowed his big rig into slow-moving traffic without ever hitting the brakes. Toxicology tests confirmed that Singh was impaired at the time of the crash. The fiery collision killed three people, including Clarence Nelson, a beloved assistant basketball coach at Pomona High School, and his wife, Lisa Nelson. Four others were injured.
“This week, our community was deeply saddened by the tragic incident in the City of Ontario,” State Senator Susan Rubio wrote in a public statement. “It’s heartbreaking to learn that two of the lives lost were from my district — Pomona High School basketball coach Clarence Nelson and his wife Lisa.”
Federal authorities confirmed that Jashanpreet Singh was not in lawful immigration status, and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) lodged an immigration detainer following his arrest. The crash, caught on dashcam video, was widely circulated and reignited concerns about the oversight of commercial drivers on American highways.
In the aftermath of these tragedies, Florida has taken aggressive legal action. In October 2025, the state petitioned the U.S. Supreme Court to bar California and Washington from issuing CDLs to individuals who are not U.S. citizens or lawful permanent residents. Florida’s petition argues that these states have shown “open defiance of federal immigration laws” and have failed to enforce public safety, calling the situation a “public nuisance.” If the Supreme Court takes up the case, it could set a new precedent affecting not only commercial but potentially regular driver’s licenses for immigrants nationwide.
The legal wrangling comes amid a broader federal crackdown on CDL requirements for noncitizens. Citing a series of fatal crashes involving immigrant truck drivers, the U.S. Transportation Department in September 2025 introduced new rules making it significantly harder for immigrants to obtain CDLs. Now, only three specific classes of visa holders are eligible, and states must verify immigration status through a federal database. Licenses will be valid for up to one year, or until the visa expires, whichever comes first.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy has been vocal in his criticism of states that fail to enforce English-language and other safety standards for commercial drivers. “I put states on notice this summer: Enforce the Trump Administration’s English language requirements or the checks stop coming,” Duffy said, according to Fox News. “California is the only state in the nation that refuses to ensure big rig drivers can read our road signs and communicate with law enforcement. This is a fundamental safety issue that impacts you and your family on America’s road.”
The Trump administration followed through on these warnings by withholding more than $40 million in federal highway safety funds from California, citing the state’s failure to comply with federal English proficiency standards for truckers. Duffy, speaking to Fox News on October 15, 2025, stressed, “The truth is I think we have a lot of abuse in the commercial driver’s license issuing space.” Referring specifically to Harjinder Singh, he added, “He didn’t speak English and couldn’t read road signs. So the question becomes … how in the heck can you ever pass a test for a commercial driver’s license? You can’t do it but for fraud.”
The controversy has drawn heated responses from across the political spectrum. Supporters of the new federal restrictions argue that public safety demands strict adherence to English language and immigration requirements, especially for those operating heavy vehicles on public roads. They point to the recent tragedies as evidence of systemic failures in licensing and enforcement. Critics, however, warn that the new rules could unfairly target immigrant communities and exacerbate labor shortages in the trucking industry, which is already struggling to fill vacancies.
As the debate plays out in courtrooms and legislatures, the families of the victims are left to mourn their losses. The Pomona Unified School District community, in particular, has been shaken by the deaths of Clarence and Lisa Nelson. “As a teacher, I know how a loss like this ripples through an entire school community,” Senator Rubio said. “My heart goes out to their families, the Pomona Unified School District, and everyone mourning this tremendous loss.”
With Florida’s Supreme Court petition pending, and the federal government tightening the reins on CDL eligibility, the nation faces tough questions about balancing safety, fairness, and the realities of immigration enforcement. For now, the tragedies in Florida and California serve as sobering reminders of the high stakes involved when public safety and policy collide on America’s highways.
