U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio says the Trump administration is halting all new visas issued to foreign truck drivers in the U.S. following a fatal Florida crash that resulted in the loss of three lives.
"Endangering American Lives," Marco Rubio Says
Taking to the social media platform X on Thursday, Rubio said that the government was pausing all issuances of new work permits and visas for commercial drivers "effective immediately."
Rubio says the move comes in as "the increasing number of foreign drivers" on the road was putting American lives in danger and "undercutting the livelihoods of American truckers."
Fatal Truck Crash In Florida
The statement from Rubio follows a fatal truck crash in Florida, when driver Harjinder Singh made an illegal U-turn on the highway through an "Official Use Only" access point, resulting in multiple deaths.
Following the crash, the Department of Homeland Security released a statement accusing California Governor Gavin Newsom of issuing "an illegal alien a Commercial Driver's License" to operate a "40-ton killing machine" despite having no "legal right" to be in the U.S.
U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, meanwhile, also issued a statement saying that the DOT was also investigating the crash and shared preliminary findings.
"President Trump and I will restore safety to our roads. The families of the deceased deserve justice," Duffy said in the statement, decrying "radical immigration policies" that result in "unqualified foreign drivers" acquiring licenses to drive trucks.
Trump's Crackdown On Immigration
The Trump administration has been cracking down on immigration into the U.S., with the government recently directing the USCIS (United States Citizenship and Immigration Services) to probe "anti-American" sentiments among immigrants seeking green cards and other benefits.
Meanwhile, Mark Zandi, the chief of ratings agency Moody's, has warned that the Trump administration's immigration policies could result in inflation rising over 4% in the U.S. by next year.
Elsewhere, a reunion between the Make America Great Again, or MAGA, contingent and Tesla Inc. (NASDAQ:TSLA) CEO Elon Musk could be on the cards after Vice President JD Vance signaled the contingent would take him back.
Check out more of Benzinga's Future Of Mobility coverage by following this link.
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