LIVE OAK, Fla. — Florida’s agricultural law enforcement and state police are now using the state’s agricultural inspection stations (also known as interdiction stations) as “strongholds of immigration enforcement,” Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier announced Monday, Aug. 25.
The move is in response to deadly crash involving a semi truck on Aug. 12, 2025, that resulted in the deaths of three people.
The semi was driven by Harjinder Singh, a non-English-speaking driver who has since been charged with three counts of vehicular homicide in addition to three counts of manslaughter. He is also facing charges on immigration violations.
Singh, who is classified as an undocumented immigrant, had been issued commercial drivers licenses by both Washington state and California.
Uthmeier, who spoke during a press conference held at an agricultural interdiction station on Interstate 10 in Live Oak, Florida, also announced that he has written a letter to U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy requesting the suspension of both states’ CDL programs.
According to a statement released by Uthmeier’s office, the letter cites alarming findings released by the U.S. Department of Transportation. During questioning, the driver involved in the deadly semi crash failed an English proficiency test — answering only two of twelve verbal questions correctly and identifying just one of four traffic signs. Despite this, Washington issued the driver a full-term CDL in 2023 and California issued another in 2024.
To view Uthmeier’s letter to Duffy, click here.
“States like California and Washington ignored the rules, gave an illegal alien a license to drive a 40-ton truck, and three people are dead as a result. (This was a) preventable tragedy due to sanctuary state policies,” Uthmeier said.
“In response, we’re supporting our agricultural law enforcement and state police to ramp up inspections at state entry-points for illegal aliens who may be operating large trucks using out-of-state driver’s licenses,” he continued. “If you’re here illegally or can’t speak English, you have no business operating large commercial vehicles on Florida’s roads.”
Wilton Simpson, commissioner of the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FCACS), says all FDACS sworn law enforcement officers are 287(g) certified as of July. These officers are stationed at interdiction checkpoints to work with federal and state partners on immigration enforcement and checking for English proficiency for commercial drivers while continuing agricultural inspections.
Florida’s interdiction stations are not the same as truck weigh stations, which are managed by the Florida Department of Transportation. Following the press conference major news outlets, including CBS Miami and the New York Times, erroneously reported that Florida’s truck weigh stations are now ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) checkpoints. CBS Miami has since corrected its report.
“The crash on the Florida Turnpike tragically took the lives of three Floridians and was a completely preventable consequence of illegal immigration and sanctuary-state policies,” Wilton said. “It is also a reminder of why the work of our law enforcement community to combat illegal immigration is so critical.”
Linda Garner-Bunch has been with The Trucker since 2020, picking up the reins as managing editor in 2022. Linda has nearly 40 years of experience in the publishing industry, covering topics from the trucking and automotive industry to employment, real estate, home decor, crafts, cooking, weddings, high school sports — you name it, she’s written about it. She is also an experienced photographer, designer and copy editor who has a heartfelt love for the trucking industry, from the driver’s seat to the C-suite.
