A tragic crash in Florida which has killed three people, has reignited a heated debate over immigration laws and work permits in the United States.
Officials confirmed that the truck driver accused of causing the deadly accident was in the country illegally and had been given work authorisation during the Biden administration.
The driver, identified as Harjinder Singh, was arrested in Stockton, California on Saturday. According to investigators, Singh was driving a commercial truck with a trailer on the Florida Turnpike in Fort Pierce when he tried to make a U-turn in an unauthorized area. The trailer twisted and crashed into a minivan, killing all three passengers inside.
Homeland Security officials said that Singh first entered the United States illegally through the southern border in 2018. Under the Trump administration in 2020, his application for work authorization was rejected. However, in June 2021, during the Biden administration, Singh was later granted work approval.
The case has sparked a political battle between California Gov. Gavin Newsom and federal officials. Newsom’s office revealed that the Trump administration had previously approved Singh’s work permit.
Homeland Security Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin quickly pushed back, stating that the claim was false. She clarified that Singh’s application was denied in 2020 and only approved in the following year under Biden.
McLaughlin also highlighted that the federal government does not issue commercial driver’s licenses (CDLs). Instead, it’s the duty of each state to decide who can qualify for a license. In this case, the California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) granted Singh a CDL, despite his undocumented status.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem has strongly criticised this decision of California. In a statement on social media, she said the tragedy could have been avoided if states like California had followed federal immigration laws.
“Three innocent lives were lost because an illegal alien was given a commercial driver’s license,” she wrote. “This should never have happened.”
Meanwhile Singh remains in custody and authorities are investigating both the crash and his immigration violations. The victims’ names have not yet been released, but officials have said that they were all traveling together in the minivan.
This incident has reignited national debate in the U.S. over immigration, work permits, and state-issued driver’s licenses for undocumented immigrants.