Florida authorities have denied bond to Harjinder Singh, a truck driver accused of causing a crash that resulted in the deaths of three people. The incident, which occurred last week, has ignited a political firestorm concerning immigration and state-issued driver’s licenses.
Singh, a native of India who allegedly entered the U.S. illegally from Mexico in 2018, is facing three state counts of vehicular homicide and immigration violations. The crash happened when Singh, driving a truck, attempted an illegal U-turn on a highway approximately 50 miles north of West Palm Beach. A minivan traveling in the adjacent lane was unable to avoid the sudden maneuver and collided with the truck’s trailer, killing the minivan’s driver and two passengers. Singh and his truck’s passenger were not injured.
Following the crash, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) placed a hold on Singh, who is currently being held at the St. Lucie County Jail.
The tragedy has become a point of contention between the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and California’s Democratic Governor, Gavin Newsom. A DHS spokesperson, Tricia McLaughlin, criticized California’s policy of issuing commercial driver’s licenses to individuals in the country illegally, calling it “asinine.” California is one of 19 states, in addition to the District of Columbia, that has such a policy, which supporters argue allows people to work and access essential services safely.
In response, Governor Newsom’s press office stated on X that Singh had obtained his work permit while Donald Trump was president. This claim was disputed by DHS’s McLaughlin. Florida’s Republican Governor Ron DeSantis underscored the political nature of the event by dispatching Lt. Gov. Jay Collins to California to escort Singh onto an airplane.
The federal government has since paused worker visas for commercial truck drivers in the wake of the fatal crash.