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Florida truck crash by Indian driver sparks row between Trump adminstration, California governor
The Department of Homeland Security said it is working around the clock to safeguard the public and remove criminal illegal immigrants from the country.
A deadly crash in Florida that claimed three lives has sparked fresh criticism from the Trump administration of California governor Gavin Newsom.
The accident occurred when a semi-truck driver, allegedly an undocumented immigrant, attempted an illegal U-turn on the Florida Turnpike. The manoeuvre caused the trailer to jackknife and collide with a minivan.
The driver, identified as Harjinder Singh, an Indian citizen, had been issued a commercial driver’s license by the California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) despite his alleged undocumented status.
The Department of Homeland Security condemned criminal illegal immigrants, pledging to protect the public and offering condolences to the victims and their families.
“Three innocent people were killed in Florida because Gavin Newsom’s California DMV issued an illegal alien a Commercial Driver’s License—this state of governance is asinine,” DHS said in a post on X.
“How many more innocent people have to die before Gavin Newsom stops playing games with the safety of the American public? We pray for the victims and their families,” it added.
The Department of Homeland Security said it is working around the clock to safeguard the public and remove criminal illegal immigrants from the country.
However, Governor Newsom’s press office pointed out that Harjinder Singh entered the US during Donald Trump’s presidency.
Singh allegedly entered California illegally in September 2018 and was taken into custody by Border Patrol. He was initially processed for expedited deportation, but claimed fear of returning to India.
In January 2019, he was released on a $5,000 immigration bond and issued a Notice to Appear. Since then, he has remained under ongoing immigration proceedings.
In a statement, the White House criticised California, calling Singh “an Indian national granted a commercial driver’s license by the so-called ‘sanctuary state,’ whose reckless policies put American lives at risk every day.”
The statement also took aim at Governor Newsom, saying, “Instead of acknowledging the tragedy, criminal illegal alien sympathiser Gavin Newsom callously doubled down, claiming that giving driver's licenses to illegals ‘improves public safety.’”
The Florida Highway Patrol reported that the semi-truck, towing a box trailer, was in the outer lane when it attempted a U-turn into a section of the turnpike reserved for official use.
