Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy announced on Wednesday that California will lose $40 million in federal funds as it is the only state that does not mandate truck drivers to demonstrate English proficiency.
Duffy’s comments followed an investigation triggered by a deadly crash on August 12 in Florida, involving a foreign truck driver who made an illegal U-turn. This investigation highlighted serious lapses in California’s enforcement of the rules, which were implemented in June under President Donald Trump’s executive order. California granted commercial licenses to drivers despite existing regulations prior to the incident.
The investigation revealed that truck drivers can be disqualified for not proving their English skills. Duffy stated that the driver involved in the accident should not have received a commercial license due to his immigration status. The issue has sparked a political back-and-forth between the governors of California and Florida, with Duffy emphasizing immigration concerns in recent discussions.
“California is the only state refusing to ensure that big rig drivers can read road signs and communicate with law enforcement. This is a basic safety concern that affects families on our roads,” Duffy stated.
California’s government defended its practices in a formal response last month, though federal officials found this insufficient.
In response to the funding announcement, California Governor Gavin Newsom’s office quickly countered, with spokesperson Diana Crofts Pelayo pointing to data indicating that California’s commercial truck drivers have a lower accident rate compared to the national average.
However, Duffy mentioned in August that around 34,000 inspections were conducted since the language regulations took effect, revealing at least one violation. Notably, one driver was terminated after just one inspection for failing to meet the English requirements. Additionally, 23 drivers who had violations in other states were allowed to keep driving after passing tests in California.
The Department of Transportation stated that California would need to implement regulations ensuring English proficiency for truck drivers through roadside inspections and remove those who fail in order to regain the lost funding.
Besides the English language measures, Duffy also indicated the potential for withholding an additional $160 million from California related to its commercial driver’s license issuance practices. Last month, he tightened the criteria for qualifying for these licenses.
A tragic incident involved truck driver Harjinder Singh, who made an illegal U-turn, resulting in the deaths of three individuals when his vehicle collided with a tractor-trailer about 50 miles north of West Palm Beach, according to the Florida Highway Patrol.
Singh has been charged with vehicular homicide and immigration violations across three states and is currently being held without bail. His attorney has not provided comments on the situation.
The investigation intensified, revealing questions about Singh’s immigration status and his failure in English proficiency tests. Duffy and Florida officials have pointed fingers at California and Washington for issuing Singh’s commercial driver’s license.
Nonetheless, California officials asserted that he possessed a valid work permit at the time of the incident. Furthermore, a traffic stop video from New Mexico showed Singh was able to effectively communicate with officers during a stop in July.
Duffy, alongside Trump and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, has had contentious exchanges with Newsom regarding whether Singh should have been operating a truck.
Newsom’s office asserted that all regulations were followed in issuing Singh’s license in July 2024, and the federal government confirmed his legal presence in the country at that time.
Duffy and Florida officials claimed that Singh, originally from India, had entered the U.S. illegally from Mexico back in 2018.
