Fatal Florida Crash By Illegal Immigrant Truck Driver Sparks Team Trump Vs California Governor

Last Updated:August 19, 2025, 09:22 IST

A semi-truck driver, who is an illegal immigrant, attempted a U-turn on the Florida turnpike, resulting in the trailer jackknifing and colliding with a minivan.

The semi-truck driver, an illegal immigrant, was arrested on Saturday.

The illegal immigrant truck driver accused of causing a crash that killed three people in Florida has become the latest flashpoint between the Donald Trump administration and California Governor Gavin Newsom.

A semi-truck driver, who is an illegal immigrant, attempted a U-turn on the Florida turnpike, resulting in the trailer jackknifing and colliding with a minivan.

Following this, it turned out that the Sikh man was an Indian national, identified as Harjinder Singh, was issued a commercial driver’s license by the California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV), despite his illegal status.

The finding gave ammunition to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), which posted on X, “How many more innocent people have to die before Gavin Newsom stops playing games with the safety of the American public?"

DHS is working around the clock to protect the public and get these criminal illegal aliens out of America, it said.

Reportedly, Singh entered the US when Trump was the president.

Under California’s law, one gets a commercial driver’s license only when they have a lawful presence in the country, Newsom’s office said.

Singh allegedly crossed the California border illegally in September 2018 and was arrested by Border Patrol. He was then processed for fast-track deportation, but he “claimed fear of going back to India", after which he was released on a $5,000 immigration bond in January 2019 after being given a Notice to Appear. The man has remained in immigration proceedings ever since.

“The illegal alien is an Indian national who was granted a commercial driver’s license by the so-called ‘sanctuary state’ of California, whose reckless policies put the lives of American citizens at risk every single day," said the White House in a statement.

Attacking Newsom, who has in past clashed with the US President, the White House said, “But instead of acknowledging the tragedy, criminal illegal alien sympathiser Gavin Newsom callously doubled down, claiming that giving driver’s licenses to illegals ‘improves public safety’."

According to the Florida Highway Patrol, the semi-truck, which was towing a box trailer, was in the outer lane when it tried to do a U-turn into a section of the turnpike designated as “official use only."

According to the agency, the minivan, in the inside lane, was “unable to avoid" the semi tractor-trailer as it crossed “over all northbound travel lanes" to make the U-turn on the access road. The minivan crashed into the trailer and became jammed beneath its left side.

Singh was arrested by US Marshals in California on Saturday on a warrant for three counts of vehicular homicide, and he is now facing deportation.

Trump and Newsom have clashed on multiple issues in past, including immigration and economic strategies. They have feuded several times on public platforms as well.

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The News Desk is a team of passionate editors and writers who break and analyse the most important events unfolding in India and abroad. From live updates to exclusive reports to in-depth explainers, the Desk d...Read More

The News Desk is a team of passionate editors and writers who break and analyse the most important events unfolding in India and abroad. From live updates to exclusive reports to in-depth explainers, the Desk d...

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Washington D.C., United States of America (USA)

First Published:

August 19, 2025, 09:20 IST

News world Fatal Florida Crash By Illegal Immigrant Truck Driver Sparks Team Trump Vs California Governor

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