The Washington State Licensing Department is currently looking into how undocumented immigrants have managed to acquire commercial driver’s licenses, especially following a tragic crash in Florida last Tuesday that resulted in the deaths of three individuals.
This incident has reignited discussions about licensing loopholes and immigration enforcement, prompting concerns about how non-citizens with no legal standing can get commercial driver’s licenses.
A spokesperson mentioned that “the Ministry of Licensing is examining the 2023 case involving Singh’s prior commercial driver’s license. However, there’s no set timeline for when this investigation will conclude or what details will be made public.”
The suspect, Haljinder Singh, entered the United States unlawfully in 2018 but was denied work authorization by the Trump administration in 2020. Nonetheless, he somehow obtained a commercial driver’s license in California, according to the Department of Homeland Security.
Singh also acquired a commercial driver’s license in Washington State in July 2023, as reported by the Department of Transportation. According to the investigation, he executed a U-turn in a prohibited area on the Florida Turnpike and did not pass the English proficiency and road sign tests administered by federal authorities.
In a statement, the Department of Transportation noted, “The [Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration] conducted an English proficiency assessment in line with FMCSA guidelines.” Meanwhile, the California Department of Motor Vehicles has yet to respond to inquiries about Singh’s license.
Interestingly, the California administration has been pressured for clarification regarding how he obtained his work authorization.
Singh’s situation highlights a broader issue, as other states have raised alarms over illegal immigrants being granted standard driver’s licenses. There have been reports from a whistleblower in Kentucky suggesting similar concerns.
Lora Ries, director of the Heritage Foundation’s Border Security and Immigration Center, discussed how these issues come to light. She pointed out, “States are not supposed to issue commercial driver’s licenses to individuals who aren’t U.S. citizens or legal permanent residents.” She added that the Trump administration had denied Singh’s work application, while the Biden administration later approved it, possibly encouraging misuse of the CDL loophole.
