Marco Rubio pauses trucker visas after deadly Florida crash involving undocumented immigrant

FORT PIERCE, FLORIDA: Secretary of State Marco Rubio has announced an immediate pause on issuing worker visas for commercial truck drivers, following a deadly crash in Florida allegedly caused by an undocumented immigrant, Harjinder Singh, 28.

The incident, which left three people dead, has raised serious questions, including how he passed road tests and obtained a commercial license.

Marco Rubio announces immediate pause on issuance of worker visas for commercial truck drivers

On Thursday, August 21, Senator Marco Rubio announced an immediate suspension of worker visas for commercial truck drivers.

In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Rubio wrote, "Effective immediately we are pausing all issuance of worker visas for commercial truck drivers."

He added, "The increasing number of foreign drivers operating large tractor-trailer trucks on US roads is endangering American lives and undercutting the livelihoods of American truckers."

Rubio’s announcement followed a deadly crash in Fort Pierce, Florida, involving Singh, an undocumented immigrant driving a commercial truck.

What led to the deadly crash in Florida?

According to authorities, Harjinder Singh was operating a tractor-trailer on the Florida Turnpike when he attempted an illegal U-turn in an unauthorized area on August 12. The trailer jackknifed and collided with a minivan, killing all three passengers inside.

Further investigation revealed troubling details about Singh’s driving credentials. He did not pass the required English and road tests before being issued a commercial driver’s license. Despite being ineligible, Washington state granted him a full-term CDL in July 2023, and California later issued him a limited-term CDL in 2024.

The case has sparked a political clash between California Governor Gavin Newsom, DHS officials, and the Trump administration, who have traded sharp criticism over how Singh obtained his licenses. Singh has since been extradited to Florida from California and now faces three counts of vehicular homicide.

The Lieutenant Governor of Florida Jay Collins wrote on X, "Today, I personally escorted the thug who took the lives of three Floridians. Harjinder Singh should never have been in this country, and he never should have been granted a CDL by California. Governor @GavinNewsom 's reckless policies put communities at risk, and Florida won't stand for it."

Internet supports Marco Rubio's move after tragic Florida crash

Marco Rubio’s decision to pause worker visas for commercial truck drivers has sparked strong online support.

One wrote, "Good work, but this should be more than a pause. Just end the program entirely. We have enough people who are qualified to be truck drivers in the US already. 55 million people on visas in the US! This is an absurdly high number."

Another hailed, "A pause is greatly welcomed. Perhaps during the pause, we can test those already granted visas for English proficiency?"

A person expressed, "This is a great move. We need to hold the Trucking industry accountable for employing Illegals and not doing something about this sooner."

One more user added, "Thats a great start. Lets get them off the road!"

"Excellent decision, but most of these are illegal immigrants hence you will have to come heavy on the illegal immigrants. Recent case the driver was an illegal immigrant," read another tweet. 

This article contains remarks made on the internet by individual people and organizations. MEAWW cannot confirm them independently and does not support claims or opinions being made online.