Indiana officials are set to revoke commercial driver’s licenses (CDLs) for immigrants who can’t show a valid work visa. This change means that all affected licenses will expire at midnight Wednesday.
Lt. Gov. Micah Beckwith shared on social media that going forward, non-citizens applying for CDLs will need to present one of three approved work visas. Additionally, they’ll have to prove their English proficiency as well.
This announcement follows a concerning incident in Florida, where federal safety officials filmed a truck driver who struggled to read road signs or communicate in English. Reports indicate that up to half of truck drivers at certain weigh stations in Florida do not meet the essential English proficiency standards.
Transport Secretary Sean Duffy has expressed concerns over widespread fraud allowing illegal immigrants to obtain CDLs, which poses safety risks. There have been reports of fatal accidents across the country involving drivers who were undocumented or held licenses they shouldn’t have had.
For instance, in February, an undocumented truck driver from India allegedly ran a red light, leading to a deadly crash in Indiana. Singh Sukhdeep received his CDL in May 2025, even after facing legal issues related to border crossing back in 2018.
Beckwith stated that employers found knowingly hiring illegal drivers without valid CDLs could face hefty fines of $50,000. “This is a significant first step toward making our streets safer for Hoosiers,” he remarked. He emphasized the importance of enforcing the new laws to prevent further tragedies.
In a separate case, an illegal immigrant named Harjinder Singh was charged with a fatal tractor-trailer crash in Florida that killed three individuals. Singh allegedly made an illegal U-turn, causing the vehicle to block multiple lanes and resulting in the accident. His brother, also an undocumented immigrant, was with him during the incident.
