Claim: Trump allowed an immigrant truck driver who was involved in a fatal incident.
Verdict: False. The driver obtained a work permit after being denied under Trump.
California Governor Gavin Newsom is once again in the spotlight. This time he’s attempting to shift the state’s role in granting a commercial driver’s license (CDL) to Harjinder Singh, the driver who allegedly caused the deaths of three others on August 12th.
This incident was reported by Breitbart News recently.
The driver, identified as Haljindersin, is described as an illegal Indian immigrant who entered the U.S. from Mexico in 2018.
The tragic accident occurred near Fort Pierce, Florida. It’s reported that the driver attempted an “official use” turn on the Florida Turnpike, which led him to unexpectedly cross all lanes.
This sudden move left little time for other vehicles to react, resulting in a head-on collision with a Chrysler. Tragically, all three occupants of that car were found either at the scene or later at the hospital due to injuries sustained from the crash.
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Initially, officials mentioned that the driver was originally from California, and footage from the vehicle’s dash cam was released. A statement from the Florida Highway Safety Motor Vehicles (FHSMV) confirmed that Singh had indeed obtained a commercial driver’s license in California.
Newsom has started discussions with the White House, pushing for a policy that would allow undocumented immigrants to receive driver’s licenses, arguing it would improve public safety.
Trump’s “rapidResponse47” account reiterated the claim that Trump had recognized Singh in the U.S. back in 2018 via the “@govpressoffice” account, managed by communications director Izzy Gardon.
Homeland Security Secretary Tricia Laklin clarified that Singh was actually denied a work permit during Trump’s administration, but received one under President Biden’s more lenient immigration policies.
The “@govpressoffice” account did not provide direct answers and instead shared an article from the San Francisco Chronicle, which stated that “important facts” were misrepresented in the context of the Florida accident.
However, that article did not actually substantiate Newsom’s assertions. The Chronicle pointed out that while those with work permits can indeed obtain a CDL, California specifically prohibits CDL issuance to undocumented immigrants. It remained unclear when Singh acquired his CDL, though.
Newsom defended the idea of issuing licenses to undocumented individuals in response to the incident but did not address the claim that Trump had granted Singh a work permit.
The Chronicle also failed to explore how Singh was permitted to remain in the U.S. after being denied a work permit during Trump’s first term.
Joel B. Pollack is a senior editor at Breitbart News; Breitbart News Sunday Sirius XM Patriot will be available Sundays from 7pm to 10pm (4pm to 7pm). He is the author of Zionist plot wants you, It’s now available on Amazon. He is the winner of the 2018 Robert Novak Journalism Alumni Fellowship. Follow him on Twitter @joelpollak.
