Trump Reviews Visas of All 55 Million US Holders
The U.S. government has announced an immediate suspension of worker visas for commercial truck drivers after a deadly accident in Florida triggered renewed scrutiny of foreign drivers and state licensing rules.
The decision, announced by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, follows a crash on Florida’s Turnpike earlier this month in which a tractor-trailer attempted an illegal U-turn and struck a minivan, killing three people. The driver, Harjinder Singh, an Indian national who allegedly entered the U.S. illegally in 2018, has been charged with three counts of vehicular homicide.
Rubio defended the measure as necessary to safeguard American roads and protect domestic jobs.
“The increasing number of foreign drivers operating large tractor-trailers on U.S. roads is endangering American lives and undercutting the livelihoods of American truckers,” he said in a statement.
Investigations revealed Singh held commercial driver’s licenses issued in Washington and later California, despite his immigration status. Recent testing reportedly showed he struggled with both English proficiency and basic road-sign recognition.
The case has intensified political tensions between the Trump administration and California’s Democratic leadership. The Department of Homeland Security accused California’s DMV of granting Singh a license improperly, while Governor Gavin Newsom countered that Singh’s work permit had been federally approved during Trump’s previous term.
The suspension of truck-driver visas forms part of a wider immigration crackdown. Earlier this year, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy reinstated mandatory English language standards for drivers, and federal agencies launched a nationwide audit of state licensing procedures. Data shows the number of foreign-born truckers in the U.S. has doubled since 2000, reflecting the industry’s growing reliance on immigrant labor.
The new policy is expected to have ripple effects across logistics, immigration, and labor markets as the federal government balances safety concerns with America’s long-standing trucker shortage.
