A Florida congressman and gubernatorial candidate introduced legislation Wednesday to expand enforcement of English-language requirements for commercial drivers after an undocumented trucker was charged in a crash that killed three people.
Rep. Byron Donalds said his Weigh station Enforcement to Intercept and Guard Highways (WEIGH) Act would authorize the Department of Transportation to use interstate weigh stations to verify commercial driver’s license (CDL) applications and test drivers for English proficiency. The proposal comes after authorities say 28-year-old Harjinder Singh, an undocumented immigrant from India, jackknifed his tractor-trailer on Aug. 12 in Florida, a wreck that prosecutors say killed three people and led to three counts of vehicular homicide.
Singh was issued a CDL in California and had previously held a license in Washington state, according to officials. Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) testing after the crash reportedly found that Singh could identify only one of four road signs presented and correctly answered two of 12 English-language questions intended to assess comprehension of traffic signs and basic communication.
Singh was arrested after an alleged unauthorized U-turn in August and is being held in Florida without bond, prosecutors said. Body-worn camera footage released by New Mexico State Police shows Singh holding paperwork during a July traffic stop in that state when an officer issued a speeding ticket, according to law enforcement statements.
Federal regulations for a CDL require applicants to "read and speak the English language sufficiently to converse with the general public, to understand highway traffic signs and signals in the English language, to respond to official inquiries, and to make entries on reports and records." The executive order President Donald Trump signed on Aug. 28 directed the Department of Transportation to increase enforcement of that requirement, saying it had not been enforced in recent years.
Donalds said the WEIGH Act would codify the executive order and allow weigh stations to check for licensing irregularities and verify English-language ability. He warned that states that do not cooperate could face consequences for federal highway funds, a shift that could raise constitutional and federalism issues as states generally set highway enforcement policies.
Florida Agriculture Commissioner Wilton Simpson backed stepped-up checks, saying, "If you can't read our signs, you shouldn't be on our roads." Simpson said the state has worked to remove people it considers dangerous from the roadways since the current administration took office.
Advocates for stricter enforcement say the tests protect public safety; others caution that implementation details and constitutional concerns must be resolved. Reports circulating online also noted a petition supporting the driver that drew significant signatures, reflecting polarized public reaction to the crash and the nationality and immigration status of the driver.
The FMCSA review and the pending state and federal investigations are ongoing. Prosecutors in Florida have filed vehicular homicide charges; any additional charges or federal immigration consequences could follow depending on the outcome of criminal proceedings and immigration enforcement actions.