WASHINGTON (TNND) — The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Operation Highway Sentinel has resulted in the apprehension of over 100 undocumented truck drivers on highways in California.
“If you obtain a driver’s license in states like Colorado, New York, or California, you may not remain there. Instead, you travel across the country, putting every American at risk,” remarked Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy during an appearance on Fox & Friends on Tuesday.
Federal officials stated that the operation commenced earlier this month following several fatal accidents involving commercial trucks operated by unauthorized immigrants who held licenses issued in California.
Among those arrested was Harjinder Singh, an Indian national implicated in the deaths of three people during an unlawful U-turn in Florida last summer.
“We often hear about incidents where lives are lost due to reckless mistakes on American roads,” Duffy commented.
The operation in California saw the arrest of undocumented individuals from nearly a dozen different countries, including India, Mexico, Colombia, Russia, and Venezuela. Similar initiatives also took place in New York and Oklahoma, and ‘Operation Midway Blitz’ in Indiana led to over 200 arrests, encompassing 146 truck drivers, with 50 possessing Commercial Driver’s Licenses (CDLs) from various states.
“Numerous families across this nation have endured grief, victimization, and the loss of loved ones due to these illegal drivers,” stated DHS Secretary Kristi Noem in October after the operation.
Earlier this year, the Trump administration introduced new regulations focused on English proficiency for commercial truck drivers. California was the first state to face the withholding of federal funds—amounting to over $40 million—for noncompliance. Other states, such as Illinois, Minnesota, New York, Washington, and Pennsylvania, are also under scrutiny. Meanwhile, Duffy has mentioned withholding $24 million from Colorado after a federal audit revealed that approximately 22% of CDLs issued to immigrants were unauthorized.
“I assure you that the federal taxpayer will not support roads and infrastructure when they are jeopardizing public safety by allowing illegal drivers on the roads,” Duffy asserted.
Colorado Governor Jared Polis responded, stating that a “miscommunication” was to blame for the issue. He mentioned that had Duffy contacted him, he would have known that the state had concluded its investigation and was finalizing a review of the findings, with notification letters expected to be sent this week to CDL holders whose credentials were improperly issued.
The office of California Governor Gavin Newsom, alongside the state’s DMV, countered Duffy’s accusations on several fronts. They noted that the fatal crash rate for California CDL holders is lower than the national average. They also highlighted that CDL eligibility is determined by the federal government, not the state.
