The White House has sharply criticised California for issuing a commercial vehicle licence to Jashanpreet Singh, an illegal Indian immigrant who caused a deadly crash in Ontario, California. The 21-year-old truck driver, originally from Punjab, was reportedly under the influence of drugs when he crashed into multiple vehicles, killing three people and injuring four others.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said California gave Singh a licence even though he was in the US illegally. “He killed three people after entering the US illegally in 2022. ICE has now lodged a detainer against him,” she said. Leavitt called it part of a “disturbing pattern” of states issuing commercial driver’s licences (CDLs) to undocumented immigrants.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said his department is cracking down on noncitizens getting CDLs. He claimed the crash could have been avoided if California had followed new federal rules.
Singh remains in jail and faces charges of vehicular manslaughter and driving under the influence. California Governor Gavin Newsom’s office responded that Singh had received federal work authorisation, which legally allowed him to get a CDL under federal law.
