The United States has suspended the issuance of worker visas for commercial truck drivers following a fatal Florida crash involving an Indian immigrant, a move that secretary of state Marco Rubio said was necessary to protect road safety and American jobs.
Announcing the decision on Thursday in a post on X, Rubio wrote: “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.”
The decision came in the wake of a deadly accident last week involving Harjinder Singh, an Indian driver who allegedly made an illegal U-turn on a Florida highway, causing a collision that killed three people.
According to the Florida Highway Patrol, Singh’s tractor-trailer blocked traffic lanes north of West Palm Beach, leading to a minivan crashing into the trailer.
Singh and a passenger in his truck were unhurt.
Federal officials said Singh had entered the country illegally from Mexico and failed an English test after the crash. He has since been charged with three counts of vehicular homicide and immigration violations.
The federal government has requested that Singh be transferred to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody after his criminal case concludes.
Florida’s Republican leaders highlighted the case, while the Trump administration and California Governor Gavin Newsom’s office traded blame over how Singh obtained a commercial license.
Trump officials accused California of lax licensing practices, while Newsom’s office countered that Singh’s work authorisation came from the federal government.
Transportation secretary Sean Duffy called the Florida crash a “preventable tragedy directly caused by reckless decisions and compounded by despicable failures.”
He said: “Non-enforcement and radical immigration policies have turned the trucking industry into a lawless frontier, resulting in unqualified foreign drivers improperly acquiring licenses to operate 40-ton vehicles. President Trump and I will restore safety to our roads. The families of the deceased deserve justice.”
Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration investigators said Singh failed an English language proficiency assessment, answering correctly on just two of 12 verbal questions and identifying only one of four road signs.
The Department of Transportation has recently stepped up enforcement of English-language requirements for truckers.
In June, Duffy issued a directive that commercial drivers must demonstrate basic proficiency in English, including reading road signs and communicating with officers. Earlier this year, Trump signed an executive order reinforcing that mandate.
As scrutiny intensifies, the state department confirmed it is reviewing more than 55 million visa holders for potential violations, including overstays and criminal activity.
