PALM BEACH COUNTY, Fla. — Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier has filed a rare lawsuit directly with the U.S. Supreme Court against California and Washington, claiming the two states' sanctuary policies put a dangerous truck driver on the road who killed three people on Florida's Turnpike.
The Fort Pierce Crash That Started It All
The legal battle stems from a horrific crash in August on the Turnpike in Fort Pierce, where investigators say truck driver Harjinder Singh made an illegal U-turn with his 18-wheeler, killing three people in a minivan collision.
Officials say Singh was undocumented, could not proficiently read or speak English, and, according to the lawsuit, had failed 10 commercial driving exams in just a two-month time frame. Despite this record, both California and Washington issued him commercial driver's licenses (CDLs).
"We just had three people here get killed basically because of this failing of the system," said Neville Cramer, a retired special agent from the United States Immigration and Naturalization Service.
Expert: 'I Warned About This 20 Years Ago'
Cramer, who spent decades in immigration enforcement, says he saw this tragedy coming.
"Twenty years ago, I warned about CDLs and illegal immigrants for this exact purpose," Cramer told WPTV.
He calls Uthmeier's lawsuit "a small step forward with monumental consequences" and believes it's long overdue.
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"This is basically Washington and California violating the Constitution," Cramer said. "We cannot pick and choose the laws that we want to enforce and the ones we don't want to enforce."
What Federal Law Requires vs. What States Are Doing
Federal law requires commercial truck drivers to speak and read English well enough to:
- Understand traffic signs and signals
- Communicate with law enforcement
- Fill out the required paperwork
- Respond to emergencies
But Florida argues California and Washington are deliberately ignoring these requirements as part of their sanctuary policies, citing in the newly issued lawsuit:
California's position: The state openly announced it will not enforce English-competency requirements, stating it's "not part of California law."
Washington's track record: The state issued CDLs to 685 people who failed to prove citizenship or legal residency between January 2018 and August 2025.
The numbers: California conducted 34,000 commercial vehicle inspections from June-August 2025 with only one English-language violation resulting in driver removal. Washington conducted over 6,000 inspections with only four English-language violations resulting in out-of-service orders.
Sanctuary States vs. Federal Safety Rules
The lawsuit targets "sanctuary states" where policies limit agencies' ability to cooperate with federal immigration enforcement. In this case, Uthmeier says the "resistance includes failing to honor the federal safety regulations regarding CDLs," causing "mayhem in other states."
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In April, President Trump issued an executive order requiring stricter enforcement of English proficiency requirements for commercial drivers. Violations now result in drivers being immediately placed out of service. But California and Washington have essentially refused to comply, Florida alleges.
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Why This Affects All Americans
Florida argues this isn't just about immigration—it's about public safety on interstate highways that everyone uses. The state points to several consequences:
- Increased costs: Florida has had to increase inspections at state entry points, adding workload to state police
- Interstate migration: An estimated 400,000 illegal immigrants moved to Florida from sanctuary jurisdictions between 2019-2022
- Public safety risk: Dangerous drivers licensed in one state can operate trucks nationwide
What Florida Wants the Supreme Court to Do
Florida is asking the nation's highest court to:
- Order California and Washington to comply with federal CDL requirements
- Force both states to remove improperly licensed drivers from the roads
- Declare that sanctuary laws cannot override federal transportation safety rules
Potential Nationwide Impact
If the Supreme Court moves forward with the lawsuit, Cramer believes it could fundamentally change how commercial driver licensing works across America.
The ruling could require states to:
- Comply with federal English proficiency requirements
- Remove improperly licensed drivers from the roads
- Implement proper enforcement mechanisms
"It's possibly going to end sanctuary cities throughout the United States," Cramer predicted.
What Happens Next
The Supreme Court must first decide whether to accept this rare "original jurisdiction" case—lawsuits filed directly between states. The court typically only accepts such cases when they involve genuine disputes between states that can't be resolved elsewhere.
If accepted, the case could move relatively quickly, potentially resolving within one to two years rather than the typical three- to four-year Supreme Court timeline.
The Stakes
This lawsuit represents a major escalation in the battle between red and blue states over immigration policy. A ruling could establish important precedents about:
- Whether states can ignore federal laws they disagree with
- The balance between state immigration policies and federal safety requirements
- How interstate commerce and public safety intersect with sanctuary laws
The outcome could affect not just truck driver licensing, but the broader relationship between federal and state authority on immigration-related issues.
Legal experts say Florida appears to have a strong case because federal transportation law clearly requires English proficiency, and interstate commerce is directly affected by the policy differences between states.
For now, the families of the three people killed in that Fort Pierce Turnpike crash—and millions of Americans who share the roads with commercial trucks—await the Supreme Court's decision on whether this constitutional showdown will move forward.
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