Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro’s team is disputing the claims made by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) regarding the immigration status of a truck driver involved in a tragic crash in Indiana that left four dead. The driver was initially taken into custody and subsequently detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
DHS stated that the driver, 30-year-old Bekzan Beishekeyev from Kyrgyzstan, utilized the controversial CBP One app to enter the U.S. unlawfully. It was later reported that he received a commercial driver’s license (CDL) in Pennsylvania. The department confirmed to news sources that Beishekeyev entered the country on December 19, 2023, in Nogales, Arizona, using the CBP One app and was granted parole by the Biden administration.
“Not only was Mr. Bekzan Beishekeyev permitted entry into our country by the Biden administration via the CBP One app, but he also received a commercial driver’s license from Governor Shapiro’s Pennsylvania. These actions had fatal consequences, resulting in the deaths of four innocent individuals in Indiana on Tuesday,” remarked DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin.
McLaughlin urged “sanctuary” governors to halt the issuance of CDLs to undocumented immigrants to prevent additional fatalities.
Four fatalities in a head-on collision; driver detained by ICE
According to DHS and Indiana State Police, the crash that caused four deaths occurred around 4 p.m. on February 3, when Beishekeyev was driving eastbound on State Route 67. It was reported that he failed to pass a semi-truck that had slowed in front of him, then swerved into oncoming traffic, colliding with a van that carried 15 passengers. The authorities are currently investigating the incident, which involves the Indiana State Police, the Jay County Sheriff’s Office, and the Jay County Coroner’s Office.
In light of this tragic incident, the DHS and the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) have raised concerns regarding the practices surrounding CDL issuances in various states, especially after several fatal crashes involving undocumented immigrants.
Previous arrests of undocumented immigrants with CDLs raise alarms
DHS mentioned that ICE had also arrested another undocumented immigrant in Pennsylvania who had been issued a CDL. Akhror Bozorov, 31, an Uzbek citizen, is reportedly being sought in his home country for his alleged involvement with a terrorist organization. He was working as a truck driver when arrested in Kansas on November 9, holding a CDL issued in Pennsylvania. Bozorov had received a work permit in January 2024 under the current administration.
