US Halts Truck Driver Visas After Deadly Florida Highway Crash

The Trump administration has suspended the issuance of US visas for foreign truck drivers following a deadly crash in Florida that killed three people.

The move was announced on Thursday by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, stating that it is part of the administration’s broader crackdown on immigration.

Rubio stated on X (formerly Twitter) that “effective immediately, we are pausing all issuance of worker visas for commercial truck drivers.” He argued that the rising number of foreign-born drivers operating large trucks poses risks to public safety and threatens American trucking jobs.

The suspension follows the case of Harjinder Singh, an Indian national accused of causing the Florida crash while making an illegal U-turn. Federal officials revealed Singh had entered the US illegally from Mexico and failed an English proficiency test after the incident. His arrest drew wide media coverage and intensified political tensions between Republican-led Florida and Democratic-run California, where Singh obtained his commercial license.

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy described the accident as a “preventable tragedy caused by reckless decisions and compounded by failures.” In response, California Governor Gavin Newsom’s office clarified that Singh had received a federal work permit while seeking asylum and confirmed the state’s cooperation in extraditing him.

Immigration, Safety, and the Trucking Workforce

The case comes amid growing scrutiny of foreign-born truck drivers in the US. According to federal data, the number of immigrant drivers has more than doubled since 2000, reaching 720,000 by 2021. Today, nearly 18% of truckers are foreign-born, with many coming from Latin America, India, and Eastern Europe.

Industry experts note that the rise in immigrant drivers is driven by labor shortages. A recent altLine study revealed a shortage of 24,000 drivers nationwide, costing the freight sector an estimated $95.5 million weekly due to undelivered goods.

Visa Restrictions Expand

The truck driver visa suspension is the latest in a series of restrictive immigration measures under President Donald Trump. Rubio has also overseen the revocation of more than 6,000 student visas, quadruple the number rescinded during the same period last year. The State Department confirmed that all 55 million valid visa holders are subject to “continuous vetting.”

Additionally, the administration has halted medical visas for severely wounded children from Gaza, citing national security concerns. The decision followed lobbying by far-right activist Laura Loomer, who has openly opposed immigration from Muslim-majority regions.

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