Politics
NEW: Trump Admin Yanks Federal Funds From California Over English Proficiency Rules
The Trump Administration will be withholding more than $40 million in federal funds from California over the state’s refusal to enforce English language proficiency requirements for truckers, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy announced Wednesday.
The move comes just weeks after an illegal alien truck driver, Harjinder Singh, killed three people after making an illegal U-turn on a Florida roadway. An investigation found that Singh was able to obtain a commercial license in California despite existing English language proficiency requirements.
In announcing the decision, Duffy cited California’s refusal to enforce English proficiency rules following one of President Donald Trump’s executive orders.
“California is the only state in the nation that refuses to ensure big rig drivers can read our road signs and communicate with law enforcement. This is a fundamental safety issue that impacts you and your family on America’s roads,” Duffy posted on X. “The Golden State thinks it’s OK to ignore @USDOT English language requirements for truckers. You can play all the games you want, but not at the expense of American lives,” he added.
Duffy further noted that Singh never should have been able to receive a commercial license in the first place due to his status as an illegal alien.
Diana Crofts-Pelayo, a spokesperson for California Governor Gavin Newsom, sidestepped the state’s refusal to comply with immigration law by pointing to stats about crash rates for drivers coming out of the state.
“It seems the Secretary of Transportation needs a lesson about the laws of his own roads,” Crofts-Pelayo told Fox News. “The reality is simple: Commercial driver’s license holders in California had a fatal accident rate nearly 40% LOWER than the national average. Texas, the only state with more commercial driver’s license holders, has a rate nearly 50% higher than California’s.”
“The facts don’t lie, although for the Trump Administration, they seem optional,” she added.
Singh, an Indian national, is currently being held without bond while facing three counts of vehicular homicide and immigration violations. Investigators determined that he failed an English proficiency test, but was still issued a license to drive trucks.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and the Trump Administration have blamed officials in California, as well as Washington, for allowing Singh on the road. Authorities have said he entered the United States illegally from Mexico in 2018.
In order to get the federal funding back, California must enforce the English language rules and ensure that state inspectors test truck drivers’ English skills during roadside inspections. Those who fail must be removed from the road, Duffy said.
