GOP rep targets trucker English skills after migrant charged in deadly FL crash

FIRST ON FOX: GOP Congressman and Florida gubernatorial candidate Byron Donalds introduced legislation to enforce English proficiency for truck drivers in the U.S. as an illegal migrant faces three counts of vehicular homicide in the Sunshine State.

Harjinder Singh, an illegal migrant from India, is accused of jackknifing his tractor-trailer on Aug. 12, leading to a deadly crash that took three lives. Singh was issued a commercial driver’s license in California, but had also previously received a license in Washington state. 

Following the incident, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration examined Singh’s English proficiency and road sign comprehension. The illegal migrant was only able to identify just one out of four road signs during the test, and correctly answered only two of twelve questions surrounding his ability to understand English.

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Singh is currently being held in Florida without bond and faces three counts of vehicular homicide.

Under current federal law, to obtain a commercial driver’s license (CDL), an applicant must be able to “read and speak the English language sufficiently to converse with the general public, to understand highway traffic signs and signals in the English language, to respond to official inquiries, and to make entries on reports and records.”

On Aug. 28, President Donald Trump signed an executive order directing the Department of Transportation (DOT) to further enforce the policy.

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The executive order stated that the English proficiency “requirement has not been enforced in years, and America’s roadways have become less safe.”

Rep. Byron Donald’s new legislation, the Weigh station Enforcement to Intercept and Guard Highways (WEIGH) Act, would codify Trump’s executive order, and would allow the DOT to utilize weigh stations along federal highways to enforce English proficiency requirements.

“The failure of states to enforce basic and commonsense requirements for truckers is putting every American motorist at risk,” Donalds told Fox News Digital. “At the state level, Governor DeSantis and Commissioner Simpson have taken action to protect Floridians, but it’s imperative that we expand this effort nationwide. 

“Under my ‘WEIGH Act,’ all weigh stations along interstate highways will be required to enforce President Trump’s Executive Order to review commercial driver licenses for irregularities and verify the English language proficiency of truckers,” Donalds added. “Safety must be the standard, not the exception, and on Capitol Hill I’m fighting to ensure that the American people are put first every step of the way. The elimination of these threats to the American people is non-negotiable.”

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While individual states determine their highway law enforcement policy, federal highway funding dollars for states could be in jeopardy should they refuse to comply with DOT requirements enforcing English proficiency checks.

Florida’s own Commisioner of Agriculture, Wilton Simpson, told Fox News Digital, “If you can’t read our signs, you shouldn’t be on our roads.”

“If you drive a truck through our interdiction stations, you’re prepared for us to check your load for bugs and drugs,” Simposon told Fox. “Since [Trump] took office, we have helped take nearly 150 illegal immigrants off our streets — including murders and child predators.”

Under most state laws, commercial trucks carrying over 10 thousand pounds are required to stop at weight stations, as well as commercial trucks carrying hazardous materials.

Preston Mizell is a writer with Fox News Digital covering breaking news. Story tips can be sent to [email protected] and on X @MizellPreston