A fatal Florida crash blamed on a trucker who the Trump administration says is an undocumented immigrant is drawing new attention to the White House’s crackdown on commercial drivers. Harjinder Singh remains jailed on charges that he killed three people in a minivan Aug. 12 when he illegally made a U-turn across a Florida highway.
An international petition calling for Gov. Ron DeSantis to offer clemency has drawn more than 2.8 million signatures of support, arguing that while tragic, the crash was a “catastrophic accident” and that Singh shouldn’t face vehicular manslaughter charges.
“While accountability matters, the severity of the charges against him does not align with the circumstances of the incident,” says the petition, organized by advocates calling themselves “Collective Punjabi Youth.” “By granting clemency, you would reaffirm the value of proportional justice, the power of community advocacy, and the potential for rehabilitation.”
DeSantis responded in a Aug. 25 social-media post: “If you’re driving as an illegal alien in Florida, you will face the consequences.” Singh, originally from India, entered the United States illegally through the Mexico border in 2018, according to the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles. The names of the three people who died in the crash have not been released, and video purporting to be from the cab of his truck appears to show Singh react to the crash with almost no remorse.
The St. Lucie public defender’s office, which has been provisionally appointed to represent Singh but had not yet been formally appointed, did not immediately respond to a USA TODAY request for comment on Aug. 25.
The petition comes as federal officials are scrutinizing the millions of commercial truckers for English-language ability and whether they have legal permission to be working. Some states permit people to get driver’s licenses even if they are living in the country without the correct documentation. “This gut-wrenching tragedy should have never happened,” Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said in a social media statement.” My team (will work with their Transportation Department counterparts) to root out and prevent illegal aliens from obtaining these licenses from sanctuary jurisdictions that put American drivers and passengers in danger.”
Among the moves taken or being considered by the White House:
A temporary pause on granting new visas to international truckers seeking to work in the United States, announced by Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Aug. 21.
Lifting of an Obama-era limit on checking truckers for English ability. For decades, holders of commercial driver’s licenses were required to demonstrate proficiency in oral and written English, to ensure they understood signs and could communicate effectively with other drivers and emergency workers. That rule was suspended in 2016 but reinstated in June.
Investigating what are known as “non-domiciled” CDLs issued by states to non-residents, which is the kind of California CDL that Singh held, according to federal officials.
Reviewing fake CDLs experts say are sometimes issued by unscrupulous American trucking schools or bribed Mexican bureaucrats.
Clamping down on falsified medical paperwork by switching CDL holders to electronic records.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Case of jailed trucker puts spotlight on Trump immigration policy
