New bodycam footage has been released showing illegal immigrant truck driver Harjinder Singh struggling with limited English after he was pulled over by police in New Mexico for speeding, a detail that has since sparked a major national debate about federal language proficiency requirements for commercial truck drivers.
The incident, which has become a focal point in the ongoing discussion about immigration and enforcement of federal regulations, highlights the tensions between states and the federal government regarding the implementation of new rules requiring commercial truck drivers to demonstrate basic English language skills. Singh, the suspect accused of jackknifing his 18-wheeler while making an illegal U-turn in Florida and killing three people, was stopped by a New Mexico State Police officer on July 3 for allegedly driving at 60 mph in a 45-mph zone. The footage shows Singh appearing apologetic as he receives a ticket from the trooper, but during the interaction, the officer struggles to understand Singh’s limited English, leading to a tense exchange.
The footage has raised concerns about the enforcement of the new language proficiency rules, which were designed to ensure that commercial truck drivers can effectively communicate with law enforcement and other road users. The Department of Transportation (DOT) has already announced that Singh failed an English Language Proficiency (ELP) assessment after the fatal crash in Fort Pierce, Florida. According to the DOT, Singh answered only two out of 12 verbal questions correctly and identified only one out of four highway traffic signs, raising significant questions about his ability to safely operate a commercial truck in the United States.
This has intensified the debate about the effectiveness of the new requirements, as the federal guidelines were supposed to take effect on June 25. However, Singh’s case has raised questions about how and why an individual with apparent limited English skills was allowed to drive a commercial truck to begin with. This has led to allegations that some states may be failing to properly enforce these rules, prompting the Trump administration to threaten to cut millions in federal funding from three states, including New Mexico, over the issue.
While the Trump administration has threatened to cut millions in federal funding from three states, including New Mexico, over the issue, the state has been pushing back against these accusations. New Mexico State Police Chief Troy Weisler has been working to defend the state’s compliance with the new language proficiency requirements. He argued that the federal guidelines were unclear about the testing process, and New Mexico developed its own compliance procedures to ensure uniformity across its officers.
Weisler also pointed out that the state had kept federal regulators informed with updates in late July and mid-August, before the Florida crash occurred. He argued that an English Language Proficiency (ELP) test would not have been triggered even if the new rules had already been in effect, as the interaction between Singh and the officer did not indicate any communication issues. However, the tension between the state and federal authorities has continued to escalate, with the incident now serving as a battleground in the broader debate over immigration policy and the enforcement of federal regulations.
Additionally, the case has raised broader questions about the oversight of commercial truck drivers, particularly those who may be undocumented immigrants or non-citizens. The DOT has been investigating whether the issuance of Singh’s commercial driver’s license in California followed federal regulations, as illegal immigrants are not supposed to be granted full-term licenses, and the limited-term license he received is under scrutiny. As the debate continues, the incident has become a significant point of contention between state and federal authorities, with implications for both immigration policy and the regulation of commercial transportation in the United States.