âť“WHAT HAPPENED: Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy issued a 30-day ultimatum for California, New Mexico, and Washington to enforce federal English proficiency rules for truck drivers or face losing federal funding.
👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, the Department of Transportation, and officials from California, New Mexico, and Washington.
đź“ŤWHEN & WHERE: The announcement was made August 26, following an investigation into a deadly August 12 crash on the Florida Turnpike involving an illegal alien trucker.
đź’¬KEY QUOTE: “This is about keeping people safe on the road. Your families, your kids, your spouses, your loved ones, your friends. We all use the roadway, and we need to make sure that those who are driving big rigs—semis—can understand the road signs, that they’ve been well trained.” – Sean Duffy
🎯IMPACT: States could lose millions in federal funding, with California at risk of losing $30 million, Washington $10 million, and New Mexico $7 million if they fail to comply.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy has given California, New Mexico, and Washington a 30‑day ultimatum on August 26 to enforce federal English‑proficiency requirements for commercial truckers, or face the loss of federal funding. This directive follows a federal investigation launched after a deadly crash earlier this month on the Florida Turnpike, in which Harjinder Singh, an illegal immigrant from India, allegedly made an illegal U‑turn and killed three people.
“This is about keeping people safe on the road. Your families, your kids, your spouses, your loved ones, your friends. We all use the roadway, and we need to make sure that those who are driving big rigs, semis, can understand the road signs, that they’ve been well trained,” Duffy stated.
The Department of Transportation’s probe into the Florida crash revealed several lapses. Singh received his commercial driver’s license from both California and Washington despite his illegal status. New Mexico authorities failed to administer the required English‑language test after Singh was pulled over for speeding in July. He reportedly answered only two of 12 questions correctly in an English Language Proficiency test, and misidentified three of four road traffic signs.
From June 25 to August 21, California alone allowed at least 23 drivers with documented violations in English proficiency to continue driving. Similar enforcement failures were identified in Washington and New Mexico.
Should they fail to come into compliance, California faces up to $30 million, Washington about $10 million, and New Mexico $7 million in potential federal funding losses under the Motor Carrier Safety Assistance Program.
In response to the tragedy, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, framing the action as both a safety and economic measure, announced an immediate pause in issuing work visas for commercial truck drivers, including H‑2B, E‑2, and EB‑3 categories, citing concerns over road safety. Rubio emphasized the decision was aimed at preventing unqualified or unsafe drivers from entering U.S. roads and protecting American truckers.
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