Authorities in Missouri have identified a truck driver caught going the wrong way on a highway as an immigrant holding a commercial driver’s license from Minnesota, a state led by Democratic Governor Tim Walz. It seems he struggles with reading English road signs.
The man reportedly drove his semi for approximately three miles on the incorrect side of the highway before police halted him on the shoulder and took him into custody.
Investigators found that he was employed by a three-year-old company operating out of an apartment building in Hopkins, a suburb of Minneapolis. The company is owned by Abdiwali Ahmed, a Somali immigrant. Interestingly, it appears that at least one other driver at the company also can’t read English, and together they logged an impressive 81,000 miles last year.
Fortunately, there were no injuries from this alarming driving incident. Yet, U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy described the situation as “dangerous.”
In a post on X, he remarked, “Disturbing: We learn that a CDL truck driver in Minnesota who couldn’t read basic road signs spent several miles driving the wrong way in his 80-ton truck.”
He also mentioned that a Transportation Division investigation is in progress.
Duffy thanked Missouri law enforcement for removing the risky truck driver from the roads, adding that the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration is looking into the carrier, Cargo Transportation LLC. He emphasized the commitment to making roads safer.
In light of this incident, the Trump administration is proposing regulations to bar commercial driver’s licenses for immigrants who lack English-reading skills, which raises concerns about safety on American roads.
Following the president’s State of the Union address, Senator Jim Banks (R-Ind.) introduced Dalila’s Act, named after a 6-year-old girl, which aims to prevent states from issuing commercial driver’s licenses to those in the country illegally.
According to reports, an illegal immigrant truck driver crashed into a car containing 5-year-old Dalila Coleman in June 2024, resulting in severe injuries, including a traumatic brain injury and cerebral palsy.
The driver had crossed the southern border in 2022 and was released into the U.S. interior by the Biden administration before receiving a CDL to operate a semi-truck from California.
Senator Banks expressed, “Too many people were injured and too many people were killed.” He criticized the ease with which illegal drivers acquire commercial licenses for heavy vehicles, asserting that it has to stop. “Dalila’s law makes it clear that you can’t get a CDL if you’re in the country illegally. We need to act, and we need to act now.”
The proposed law would restrict CDLs to U.S. citizens, green card holders, and certain foreign visa workers, with all tests being conducted in English.
The legislation would also revoke any existing trucking permits held by illegal aliens or those with Temporary Protected Status, regardless of whether they have a work permit.
During his State of the Union address, President Trump stated, “Many, if not most, illegal aliens do not speak English and cannot read the most basic road signs: direction, speed, danger, location.” He urged Congress to pass Dalila’s Law to prevent states from granting CDLs to illegal immigrants.
