An underreported safety and national security crisis within America's trucking industry is now gaining national attention after an illegal alien semi-truck driver has been accused of killing several people in Florida earlier this month.

Harjinder Singh, a 28-year-old Indian national, was arrested after he jackknifed his truck while allegedly making an illegal U-turn on August 12, crushing a minivan and killing everyone in the vehicle.

Singh obtained his commercial driver's license in California despite facing pending immigration proceedings after he crossed illegally into the U.S. in 2018. The first Trump administration had fast-tracked Singh for deportation, but he was later released when he told immigration officials he was afraid to be deported back to India.

The recent tragic incident received national attention and highlighted how former President Joe Biden's open-border immigration policies contributed to significant and overlooked issues within America's trucking industry, including road safety concerns, declining wages, and broader national security risks that could take years to address.

Shannon Everett with American Truckers United has raised concerns about the effects of lowered driver qualifications for foreign nationals, which were justified by claims of an industry staffing crisis.

'I feel that this could be the biggest national security threat to the homeland that nobody is covering.’

Everett told Blaze News that many new drivers are foreign-born, having obtained their CDLs after seeking asylum and receiving employment authorization documents.

According to the Department of Transportation's Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, nonresident foreign nationals can qualify for non-domiciled CDLs. Exceptions include Canadian and Mexican nationals, who must instead obtain a license from their home country, as the FMCSA has determined that the licensing standards in those countries meet its requirements.

Cole Stevens, the chief strategy officer for Stevens Trucking Co., similarly warned about the "massive increase in non-domiciled CDLs nationwide and CDL fraud," stating that the current trucking industry ecosystem is "gutting the American trucking companies one by one."

"We have definitely seen mass casualty events happening more frequently than ever before," he told Blaze News. "Unvetted, untrained, and sometimes incapable of communicating/reading English road signs is a recipe for disaster."

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The ultimate cost

The lack of proper vetting in favor of "rampant labor dumping" has reportedly led to an increase in fatal accidents.

American Truckers United shared a chart tracking the trend of large-truck-involved fatal crashes from 2008 to 2022.

The group noted that in 2016, the Obama administration's FMCSA issued a memorandum removing the requirement to place drivers out of service for lack of English proficiency, which subsequently appeared to lead to an increase in accidents. From 2008 to 2015, the annual number of truck-involved fatal crashes peaked at 4,089. In contrast, from 2016 to 2023, the lowest annual number of truck-involved fatal crashes was 4,562, reaching a maximum of 5,873 in 2022.

‘We keep putting profit ahead of life, and I'm now a widow because of that.’

A heartbreaking incident exemplified this alarming trend in June 2024, when a semi-truck driver lost control of his vehicle on Colorado's Highway 285, resulting in the death of Scott Miller, 64, a husband, father, and grandfather.

The driver's semi-truck, which was transporting steel pipes, collided with the car in front of it, causing the truck to jackknife. The straps securing the truck's cargo failed, and the pipes fell onto Miller's vehicle, instantly crushing and killing him.

The driver of the truck was Ignacio Cruz Mendoza, a Mexican national who was illegally in the U.S. and did not hold a valid CDL at the time of the crash. Cruz Mendoza had been removed or voluntarily left the U.S. 16 times prior to the tragedy. After he spent just eight months of his year-long sentence in prison for the fatal accident, Immigration and Customs Enforcement removed Crus Mendoza from the country.

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The victim, Scott Miller, a commercial truck driver himself, and his wife, Deann Miller, previously operated their own trucking company hauling water.

Deann Miller rejected claims of a staffing shortage in the trucking industry, arguing that many qualified American drivers are willing to work, but some companies are cutting corners by hiring non-domiciled drivers to save costs.

"Truckers make good money, and they didn't want to pay that," she told Blaze News. "These companies are putting profit over lives."

"We're allowing [foreign nationals] to come in with whatever license they claim they had from their country," Miller continued. "Our truck drivers are held to a much higher standard, and they go through special schooling."

Miller explained that driving large trucks is "a skilled profession," especially in mountainous areas where drivers must know how to downshift correctly, as brakes alone cannot stop an 80,000-pound truck traveling downhill.

‘This is not even an issue for the trucking industry. This is a national security issue.’

Miller told Blaze News that there is another underreported aspect to the story: slave labor.

"These companies and corporations are bringing people over from China, Africa, Russia, Mexico, all over the place, and they're promising them good wages and a place to live. What's actually happening is these drivers are literally living out of their trucks because the trucking companies are only paying them minimum wage," she said.

Miller refuses to let her husband's death be in vain. She is advocating for mountain endorsements for truck drivers and a return to manned roadside weigh stations and inspection stops.

"We should have stops at the bottom of every mountain road and make sure every truck is assessed before it's alone on these mountain bypasses," she added. "But that's money — tax dollars. But what's more important: money or life? We keep putting profit ahead of life, and I'm now a widow because of that."

"My husband lost his life," Miller said. "And I lost my life the day my husband died. ... He was my best friend. We did everything together. I don't have my best friend any more."

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National security risks

The increase in loosely vetted foreign nationals entering the trucking workforce after crossing the border has also sparked concerns about national security.

Raman Dhillon, CEO of the North American Punjabi Trucking Association, has called the alleged driver shortage a myth that has been used to justify relaxed driver requirements.

Dhillon stated that he warned the Biden administration that there would be "a crisis coming" due to the surge in foreign nationals crossing the border and entering the trucking industry with little industry experience.

"This is not even an issue for the trucking industry. This is a national security issue," he declared.

The Transportation Security Administration issued a report in 2017, warning about the increased number of global "ramming attacks" by terrorists.

‘Non-domiciled CDL issuance represents a growing trend for which no one has yet fully accounted.’

"Commercial vehicles — distinguished by their large size, weight, and carrying capacity — present an especially attractive mechanism for vehicle ramming attacks because of the ease with which they can penetrate security barriers and the large-scale damage they can inflict on people and infrastructure," the report read.

Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard stated in April that the National Counterterrorism Center identified 600 people with terrorism ties who entered the U.S. illegally, claimed asylum, and were paroled by the Biden administration.

American Truckers United argued, "The American people DESERVE to know: Were some of these 600 individuals issued Non-Domicile CDLs, giving them access to operate massive commercial trucks on our roads? This is a NATIONAL SECURITY CRISIS! Demand transparency NOW!"

Stevens called this possibility the "ultimate Trojan horse that nobody is talking about."

"I feel that this could be the biggest national security threat to the homeland that nobody is covering," Stevens told Blaze News. "Every non-domiciled license I have seen has been under the age of 42, most in their 20s."

Stevens noted that the average age of American truck drivers is roughly 51 years old.

"I haven't seen a single one over that age for the foreign drivers/licenses that have been issued since COVID. Something is off, right?" he questioned.

Last year, two illegal aliens, Jordanian nationals, were arrested after they allegedly attempted to breach Marine Corps Base Quantico. The men reportedly posed as Amazon delivery drivers and, failing to provide proper credentials, tried to drive their box truck onto the base anyway before they were stopped by guards who deployed vehicle denial barriers.

The incident sparked concerns about a potential terrorist plot, though those claims were never substantiated.

How we got here

Although Canada and Mexico are the only two countries with CDL reciprocity agreements with the U.S., the FMCSA can issue temporary waivers, valid up to 90 days, or exemptions, valid up to two years, that allow foreign drivers from other countries to operate within the U.S.

A July report from Overdrive attempted to answer whether there has been a recent increase in non-domiciled CDL issuance across the United States. The outlet noted that determining the number of issued licenses was difficult because there is no universal tracking system, and several states that issue these CDLs do not track their own data either.

"Overdrive found just seven states that don't issue CDLs to noncitizens with work authorization; 11 states do issue non-domiciled CDLs but can't readily produce data about them; and 32 states ultimately did provide numbers. Among the states that didn't provide data, six said they would have to pay a contractor to produce the data, and two offered no response at all," the report read.

Despite missing data, Overdrive estimated that there are more than 60,000 active non-domiciled CDLs currently in the country. The report stated that "non-domiciled CDL issuance has increased quickly among the majority of states that provided data," noting that Louisiana issued only 20 in 2021 and jumped to 172 in 2024.

"Non-domiciled CDL issuance represents a growing trend for which no one has yet fully accounted," Overdrive concluded.

Everett told Blaze News that non-domiciled CDLs are primarily issued in California, New York, Illinois, Pennsylvania, Montana, Texas, and Florida.

"They are not vetting these drivers," he warned, adding that in some instances, CDLs have been issued to individuals who have provided inaccurate birthdate information or failed to submit their full names.

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Photographer: Luke Sharrett/Bloomberg via Getty Images

The Biden-Harris Administration Trucking Action Plan further exacerbated issues within the industry by "reduc[ing] barriers to drivers getting CDLs" and providing states with funds and guidance to "expedite licensing."

As part of the administration's attempt to address the alleged staffing shortage in the trucking industry, it threw millions of dollars in taxpayer-funded grants at training schools.

However, an increase in pop-up CDL mills appeared to follow the federal government's financial support.

In May, reports emerged that a trucking academy with branches in Washington and Oregon had been accused of bribing an independent state tester with cash-filled envelopes to pass its students. The school advertised teaching driving classes in Spanish, Russian, Ukrainian, and Turkish.

And this is not an isolated instance; there are several recent cases involving similar alleged CDL fraud schemes.

Authorities in Florida arrested eight individuals, including two Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles employees, for their alleged participation in a scheme that involved selling thousands of fraudulent licenses, including CDLs, to illegal aliens.

The Department of Justice announced the arrest of a former Massachusetts State Police trooper in August, who was sentenced to prison for three months for his role in a CDL fraud plot. The trooper and three MSP employees allegedly "conspired to give preferential treatment to at least 17 CDL applicants by agreeing to give passing scores on their CDL tests regardless of whether or not they actually passed."

A July report from Freight Waves stated that despite a $926 million grant in 2024 to FMCSA to increase carrier safety, only 6% of interstate carriers actually underwent a compliance review.

"What does that actually mean? It means you can start a trucking company, put equipment on the road, hire drivers with questionable training — and the government might never even glance in your direction," the news outlet wrote. "It also means brokers, shippers, and even insurance companies are making decisions based on an illusion of compliance. A lot of these carriers aren't flying under the radar — they were never even on it to begin with."

Call to action

Everett predicted that highway safety will continue to deteriorate unless "sizeable action" is taken to correct the course.

American Truckers United has requested that President Donald Trump's DOT immediately revoke and ban non-domiciled CDLs for noncitizens. The group also called for restrictions on foreign CDLs, requiring that those drivers operate only within designated commercial trade zones by banning domestic hauling beyond those areas.

‘Allowing unvetted individuals into the trucking workforce poses unacceptable risks to national security, public safety, and the flow of commerce.’

Everett told Blaze News, "All of the countries identified as having dumped drivers into the American labor market are well known for third-world conditions and living standards for their workers. This has had the intended effect."

He explained that labor dumping has driven down wages and living standards for American workers.

"It's important to note that no enforcement mechanisms exist to ensure these new drivers are being paid prevailing wages or income taxes. Likewise because of staffing problems at FMCSA, little to no enforcement exists for these operators when it comes to safety regulations," Everett added.

Stevens believes some issues could be resolved by implementing new license standards and federal-level auditing, particularly for interstate commerce.

"I'm a big proponent of states' rights over any federalization, but movement of goods [and] people between states seems like a federal issue to me," Stevens said. "And right now that licensing structure amongst states is in shambles. And I believe it has been exploited way beyond comprehension."

"I would love to see President Trump call for a full audit of all CDLs issued over the last five years, because I have a feeling that this problem trickles into all forms of licenses," he stated.

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U.S. Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy. Photographer: Yuki Iwamura/Bloomberg via Getty Images

DOT Secretary Sean Duffy, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and President Trump have moved to address the issues impacting the trucking industry.

In June, Duffy announced that the DOT would launch a nationwide audit on non-domiciled CDLs to specifically review for potentially "unqualified individuals obtaining licenses and posing a hazard on our roads."

The review aims to identify and prevent any potential patterns of abuse within state issuance procedures.

Duffy stated, "The open-borders policies of the last administration allowed millions to flood our country — leading to serious allegations that the trucking licensing system is being exploited."

A DOT spokesperson told Blaze News, "Under Secretary Duffy's leadership, the U.S. Department of Transportation is restoring strict security standards to protect the traveling public and safeguard our supply chains. Allowing unvetted individuals into the trucking workforce poses unacceptable risks to national security, public safety, and the flow of commerce. That is why we are working to close any loopholes, enhance background checks, and ensure only qualified, lawful drivers are entrusted with operating America's commercial vehicles."

Earlier this year, the Trump administration also moved to reverse Obama's 2016 memo, re-enforcing penalties for lack of English proficiency. The White House called it "a non-negotiable safety requirement for professional drivers."

Rubio announced on Thursday that the State Department would immediately pause all issuance of worker visas for commercial truck drivers. The announcement appeared to be a reaction to the recent fatal crash in Florida involving an illegal alien.

A senior Department of Homeland Security official told Blaze News, “The Biden administration abused its parole authority to create an industrial-scale catch-and-release scheme, letting in unvetted illegal aliens including known suspected terrorists, gang members, and criminals, and the Trump administration is correcting that. DHS terminated parole for nearly 500,000 illegal aliens. Many states are using the SAVE database to help identify illegal aliens before granting them benefits like a driver’s license. We conduct thorough screening and vetting for any individual encountered at our borders to identify threats to public safety and national security.”

“While DHS does not directly coordinate with state transportation agencies in vetting CDL applicants, we will use every tool and resource available to protect the homeland, prevent terrorism, and keep our roads safe. The safety of Americans comes first,” the official said.

The TSA did not respond to a request for comment.

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