The Trump administration is intensifying its efforts to regulate foreign-born truck drivers by temporarily suspending visa issuance for certain cross-border operators, as federal officials have announced.
The full effects of the announcement made by Secretary of State Marco Rubio on August 21 are yet to be determined. This decision follows a tragic fatal incident in Florida involving an Indian-born truck driver who made an illegal U-turn. Officials noted that the driver possessed a California commercial driver’s license but did not pass the required English proficiency tests.
Rubio stated, “The growing presence of foreign drivers operating large trucks on American roads poses risks to lives and threatens the livelihoods of U.S. truckers.”
Do commercial truckers cause crashes?
This year, there were around 120,000 H-2B visas available, enabling non-citizens to perform temporary, non-farm jobs like trucking to help meet seasonal labor demands. It remains unclear which specific visa programs Rubio has placed on hold.
Among approximately 3.5 million commercial truckers in the U.S., around 110,000 to 123,000 Canadian drivers were associated with crashes last year that resulted in 849 injuries and 77 deaths, according to federal safety data. Additionally, 9,000 to 11,000 Mexican-licensed drivers, who can operate outside designated border zones, were linked to 160 injuries and three fatalities in 2024.
In contrast, American CDL holders were tied to over 85,000 injuries and 4,700 fatalities last year, with more than 38,000 injuries and 1,851 deaths linked to them through July 25 of this year.
Impact of the crackdown on foreign truckers
The American Trucking Associations, which advocates for stricter trucking regulations, is currently evaluating the implications of Rubio’s announcement. The trucking sector faces challenges such as high turnover due to inadequate pay and poor conditions, but some experts caution that excessive regulation might lead to increased shipping costs, ultimately affecting consumer prices for goods.
“ATA endorses the temporary suspension of work visas for commercial drivers and insists that the issuance of non-domiciled CDLs should undergo thorough review, ensuring compliance with entry-level training standards,” the association stated. “We need a clearer understanding of how many non-domiciled CDLs are currently being issued.”
International trade agreements mandate the recognition of Mexican and Canadian CDLs in the U.S., although the majority of Mexican truckers operate only within limited areas near the U.S.-Mexico border.
This visa suspension came a day after an appearance in court by California-licensed trucker Harjinder Singh, who faces charges related to a crash on August 12 that killed three individuals. Federal authorities also reported that Singh, identified as an illegal immigrant, lacked sufficient English skills to qualify for the non-domiciled California CDL he held.
This article was originally published by USA TODAY: Trump administration pauses foreign truck driver visas after deadly crash.
