‘The increasing number of foreign drivers operating large tractor-trailer trucks on U.S. roads is endangering American lives,’ State Secretary Marco Rubio said.
The Trump administration will immediately pause the issuance of all worker visas for commercial truck drivers, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Aug. 21.
“Effective immediately we are pausing all issuance of worker visas for commercial truck drivers,” Rubio said in a post on X.
Effective immediately we are pausing all issuance of worker visas for commercial truck drivers.
— Secretary Marco Rubio (@SecRubio) August 21, 2025
The increasing number of foreign drivers operating large tractor-trailer trucks on U.S. roads is endangering American lives and undercutting the livelihoods of American truckers.
“The increasing number of foreign drivers operating large tractor-trailer trucks on U.S. roads is endangering American lives and undercutting the livelihoods of American truckers,” he said.
President Donald Trump has taken a series of steps to address concerns about foreign truck drivers who don’t speak English. In response to these concerns, Trump in April signed an executive order directing enforcement of a rule requiring commercial drivers in the United States to meet English-proficiency standards.
The move comes after Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy announced that there was an investigation underway by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration into a fatal crash involving an Indian national who doesn’t speak English.
Three people were killed in the Florida incident. The driver, Harjinder Singh, was charged with three counts of vehicular homicide. Police said that Singh allegedly attempted to make an illegal U-turn through an “Official Use Only” access point, blocking traffic, the cause of the fatal crash.
Singh also entered the United States illegally, according to Florida and U.S. officials.
English-proficiency standards for truckers were already longstanding in U.S. law.
Trump’s April executive order reversed 2016 regulations instructing inspectors not to remove commercial drivers from service on U.S. roads if their only violation was lack of English proficiency.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said that Singh obtained a commercial driver’s license in California, despite being an illegal immigrant.
The department also said that Singh failed an English language proficiency assessment.
“Singh provided correct responses to just 2 of 12 verbal questions and only accurately identifying 1 of 4 highway traffic signs,” the DHS said in a social media post.
UPDATE: Harjinder Singh, an illegal alien from India who killed three innocent people, FAILED an English Language Proficiency assessment. Singh provided correct responses to just 2 of 12 verbal questions and only accurately identifying 1 of 4 highway traffic signs.
— Homeland Security (@DHSgov) August 20, 2025
And yet,… pic.twitter.com/AwndMrW9Vm
A lawyer for Singh could not immediately be identified.
Florida officials have extradited Singh from California to face charges in the state.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement has lodged an arrest detainer for him, which the agency said will ensure “he will be transferred to ICE custody the moment his criminal case concludes.”
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration stated in 2023 that 16 percent of truck drivers in the United States were estimated to be born outside the country.
By Joseph Lord
