Florida has petitioned the U.S. Supreme Court to hear its lawsuit against California, alleging that the Golden State’s policy of issuing commercial driver’s licenses (CDLs) to individuals living in the country illegally creates unsafe conditions on national highways.
In the filing, Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier argued that California’s licensing practices violate federal safety standards requiring commercial truck drivers to demonstrate proficiency in English.
Uthmeier announced the lawsuit Wednesday, emphasizing that the state has already seen fatal incidents involving drivers who failed to meet minimum language and safety requirements.
He said federal regulators have neglected to enforce the standards, leaving states like Florida to deal with the resulting risks on their own highways.
“We can do everything right, but we still suffer when Gavin Newsom and liberals on the West Coast allow these illegals in,” Uthmeier told Sean Hannity on Fox News. “They encourage them, enable them to get these driver’s licenses, and then they cross the country and ultimately take lives.”
The lawsuit follows an August crash on Florida’s Turnpike involving Harjinder Singh, a 28-year-old undocumented immigrant from India who held a commercial driver’s license issued by California. Singh attempted a U-turn in his 18-wheeler, causing a collision that killed three people.
Investigators later found that Singh had limited English proficiency and was unable to read road signs—deficiencies that, according to Florida officials, should have disqualified him from operating a commercial vehicle under federal safety standards.
Florida’s petition places blame on California Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom, citing state policies that prohibit agencies from verifying an applicant’s immigration status.
The filing argues that California’s approach poses a threat to public safety and violates federal regulations governing commercial driver qualifications.
“California routinely frustrates and hinders federal law enforcement from addressing the immigration crisis and the destruction that accompanies it,” the petition reads, labeling the policies an “actionable public nuisance.”
The case went directly to the Supreme Court because it is the only federal court that hears cases between states.
The lawsuit asks the nation’s highest court to bar California from issuing commercial driver’s licenses to individuals not in the United States legally while arguing that federal law overrides state sanctuary policies that disregard residency and training standards.
Federal officials have already taken action in response. U.S. Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy has withheld $40 million in highway funding from California, citing the state’s failure to enforce English-language requirements for commercial drivers.
California has been given 30 days to comply or face the potential loss of an additional $160 million in federal funds.
Florida has also stepped up enforcement efforts on its own highways.
Inspection stations along Interstate 10 and agricultural checkpoints now verify the credentials of drivers holding out-of-state commercial licenses.
Since the new measures took effect, authorities have intercepted nearly 150 drivers who were in the country illegally and referred them to federal immigration officials, reports said.
Officials have warned that some drivers may attempt to avoid the increased highway inspections.
An Oklahoma farmer near a weigh station reported that several truckers have been exiting the highway early and using back roads to bypass checkpoints. In response, authorities have installed cameras along those alternate routes to ensure compliance.
While California remains the primary focus of Florida’s lawsuit, the petition also identifies Washington state as a secondary concern, citing similar licensing practices that could create risks for other states.
The case highlights ongoing safety and enforcement challenges following the August crash. Singh remains in custody awaiting trial on vehicular homicide and immigration-related charges. Uthmeier emphasized that the case illustrates a broader national issue, not an isolated incident.
“They are knowingly aware of the dangers that their policies cause,” he said. “They know that by giving people these truckers licenses who don’t speak English, they’re putting families on the road in jeopardy. Lives are lost. They know about it. They need to be held responsible.”