A California father criticized Democratic lawmakers Tuesday, holding them responsible for the severe, life-altering injuries his 7-year-old daughter sustained in a 2024 crash caused by an undocumented truck driver. Marcus Coleman spoke at a House Judiciary Subcommittee on Immigration Integrity, Security, and Enforcement hearing, directing his remarks at what he described as "sanctuary politicians."
Coleman's daughter, Dalilah, suffered a fractured skull, a broken femur, and traumatic brain injury when an 18-wheel tractor-trailer collided with her vehicle in Southern California. The truck driver was identified as Partap Singh, an undocumented immigrant from India who had obtained a California commercial driver's license. Authorities stated Singh was traveling at an unsafe speed of 60 mph and failed to stop for traffic in a construction zone.
"Sanctuary politicians must stop putting politics above public safety," a statement attributed to ICE and provided to The California Post read. "This type of insanity leads to more crimes and more innocent victims."
Coleman stated that Democratic lawmakers had not reached out to him or his family following the accident. "Not one of you guys have ever sat there and seen me in the hallways and said, 'Hey, sorry about your daughter,'" Coleman told the subcommittee. "You guys do it right here where you guys are grandstanding on top of your soapbox. This is when you guys care. Right here inside this room is the only time you guys care."
He also highlighted the financial strain the accident has caused, forcing him to stop working as a truck driver and now having to stretch his finances to care for his nine children.
California has been a sanctuary state since October 2017, when then-Gov. Jerry Brown signed Senate Bill 54, the California Values Act. This law restricts state and local law enforcement from investigating, interrogating, or detaining individuals solely for federal immigration enforcement purposes. Local jails are generally prohibited from holding individuals beyond their scheduled release date based solely on an ICE detainer request, though the law allows cooperation with federal authorities in cases involving certain serious or violent felony convictions.
Coleman directly linked the state's sanctuary policies to the outcome of his daughter's injuries. "This is the end result of Sanctuary City right here," he said, gesturing toward his daughter. He contrasted his wife's legal immigration process with illegal entry, stating, "My wife, an immigrant. She did what she's supposed to do. She did exactly what she's supposed to do to get here."
Another mother, Patricia Fox, also testified at the hearing, recounting the devastation her family experienced after a separate incident. Her daughter, Carissa “Luu” Aspnes, was permanently disabled in a March 2025 hit-and-run incident in Colorado involving an individual who was undocumented. The driver and passenger reportedly fled the scene without checking on Aspnes. Fox described her daughter's current condition, stating she cannot sit or stand independently and requires significant daily care, including specialized feeding and constant monitoring. Fox urged lawmakers to prioritize American lives over political opposition to former President Trump, stating, "You need to love Americans more than you hate Trump. It's literally your job."
Coleman concluded his testimony with a direct warning to the lawmakers he blames for the situation. "She didn't ask for any of this," he said of Dalilah. "The people that jumped the fence did though. They knew exactly what they were doing. They still chose to move forward in that direction. And every day something's happening to somebody, and it is your guys' fault. I hold each and every one of you responsible for it, and I always will."