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White House flags loopholes after California road crash: 'Criminal aliens issued licenses'
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt stated that the Department of Transportation (DOT) has initiated a review of the license-granting process.
The White House raised alarms over what it calls "serious gaps" in the issuance of commercial driver's licenses, after a deadly road crash in California involving a driver accused of being in the United States illegally.
At a press briefing this week, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed that the accused Jashanpreet Singh, charged with manslaughter while intoxicated and driving under the influence, had obtained a California commercial driver's license.
Leavitt said the Department of Transportation (DOT) has already launched a review of how the license was granted, calling it part of a broader crackdown on "licenses being wrongfully issued to people who clearly do not deserve to uphold these positions."
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"I can confirm that California gave this individual a license, and it is something that the Department of Transportation has already looked into. Secretary Duffy has spoken on this many times in the crackdown that the Department of Transportation is taking on these licenses that are wrongfully being issued to people who clearly do not deserve to hold these positions," she said.
The driver entered the US illegally
According to Leavitt, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) lodged an immigration detainer against the driver, who first entered the United States through the southern border in 2022. She claimed the individual had been released into the country "by the previous administration."
"As for this case in California, on October 22, ICE lodged an immigration detainer for this individual following his arrest by local authorities in California on charges of manslaughter while intoxicated and driving under the influence. He killed three people. And he first entered the United States in 2022 through the southern border. And he was released into our country by the previous administration. ICE has lodged a separate detainer for this individual," she added.
While details of how the driver obtained a license remain under investigation, the case has intensified scrutiny over how states verify eligibility for commercial vehicle operators.
According to Leavitt, Transportation Secretary Michael Duffy has reportedly discussed the issue "many times," as part of a federal effort to close loopholes in the system.
Leavitt stressed that the administration is "absolutely cracking down" on licensing failures and called the situation "unacceptable."
"And these tragedies are following a disturbing pattern of these criminal illegal aliens being issued commercial vehicle licenses. The Department of Transportation is absolutely cracking down on that," Leavitt added.
California road crash: What exactly happened?
A 21-year-old Indian man, Jashanpreet Singh, caused a deadly truck crash that claimed the lives of 3 people and injured four others on October 22.
At the time of the crash, Singh was allegedly high on drugs, according to officials. Singh, who entered the United States illegally in 2022, has been charged with gross vehicular manslaughter while he was high.
Police say Singh's semi-truck slammed into slow-moving traffic on the I-10 Freeway in San Bernardino County, sparking a huge fire that left three people dead and several injured.
The collision triggered a chain reaction involving eight vehicles, including four large trucks. Dashcam footage from Singh’s truck, obtained by ABC7 News, shows him speeding toward a traffic jam before slamming into an SUV. Moments later, flames erupt, engulfing multiple vehicles.
