California Democrats Oppose English Tests for Immigrant Truck Drivers
In California, Democrats running for governor are vowing to shield immigrant semi-truck drivers from being required to pass English proficiency tests. This pledge comes even after they viewed a video featuring an immigrant truck driver struggling to comprehend traffic signs.
Back in April, Xavier Becerra, who once served as Health and Human Services Secretary under Biden, expressed his intent to challenge the Trump administration’s mandate for English proficiency tests aimed at immigrant truck drivers. When questioned about whether the California Highway Patrol (CHP) ought to implement these tests, Becerra firmly stated, “I would definitely push back against the Trump administration’s reckless policies again.” This response followed a segment where moderators played a clip of CHP officers conducting on-the-spot English proficiency checks with commercial truck drivers.
Becerra emphasized the need to ensure that officers do not discriminate against drivers without adequate justification. He mentioned, “I could kind of understand what the person was trying to say. I couldn’t see the sign, but it certainly sounded like what that particular sign was trying to represent.”
Other Democratic gubernatorial hopefuls, including climate activist Tom Steyer and former U.S. Representative Katie Porter, echoed similar sentiments. They asserted that “racial profiling is illegal” and committed to opposing the Trump administration’s stance on English proficiency tests for immigrant truckers.
“Racial profiling is illegal,” Steyer remarked when asked about mandatory skills testing for these drivers. He added that in California, it’s unlawful to pressure someone based on their skin color, mentioning his initiatives with ICE to hold individuals accountable for racial profiling and violence against residents.
Porter stated he would “absolutely fight against the Trump administration” over the introduction of English proficiency tests for immigrant truck drivers. He pointed out, “Protecting Californians includes enforcement of traffic laws. We have seen the need for oversight in California from time to time…” referring to issues with the Department of Motor Vehicles not adequately addressing drunk driving regulations.
Responding to questions about the feasibility of such roadside checks becoming standard practice, Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco, a Republican candidate for governor, stated that if an officer were to stop someone to verify their ability to read signs, it would likely be due to a violation already in progress.
Bianco insisted, “First of all, we have to acknowledge that we do in fact have rules, we do have laws.” He expressed concerns about issuing driver’s licenses to individuals who don’t qualify, arguing it could lead to serious accidents involving those who may not understand English or the necessary traffic signals.
Republican Steve Hilton, another gubernatorial contender, made it clear that he would ensure California “will not issue commercial driver’s licenses” to undocumented immigrants or those who fail to comprehend English. He remarked, “It’s just ridiculous that people who can’t understand road signs and don’t speak English should be driving on our roads.”
According to a report from Breitbart News in October, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy revealed that over 7,000 immigrant semi-truck drivers had been removed from the roads for not satisfying the English proficiency requirements set by the Trump administration.
