DOT pulls 2,000 Non-English-speaking illegal truckers amid mounting crashes

Federal transportation authorities conducted a three-day enforcement blitz called Operation SafeDRIVE from January 13-15, spanning 26 states and the District of Columbia.

The initiative, led by the USDOT’s Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), resulted in over 8,200 vehicle inspections and the removal of 2,000 unqualified drivers from the roads. Among the violations, around 500 truckers were penalized for failing English proficiency standards, while 704 drivers overall were placed out of service. Additionally, 1,231 vehicles were deemed unfit for the road, and 56 arrests were made, including for DUI and illegal presence in the U.S.

Recent Deadly Crashes Highlight Risks of Unqualified Immigrant Drivers

The crackdown follows a string of fatal accidents involving drivers with questionable qualifications. Just days prior, a Kyrgyz national, Bekzhan Beishekeev, who entered the U.S. illegally via the CBP-1 app in 2023 and obtained a Pennsylvania-issued commercial driver’s license (CDL), caused a head-on collision in Indiana that killed four people after failing to stop for traffic. This incident sparked a blame exchange between DHS officials and Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, who pointed fingers at federal database management under Secretary Kristi Noem.

Similar cases include an Indian national with a California CDL involved in a deadly Florida crash and an Uzbek national wanted for terrorism who held a Pennsylvania license.

Officials Emphasize Safety and Call for Stricter Enforcement

USDOT Secretary Sean Duffy praised the operation as a collaborative effort with state law enforcement to enhance highway safety by targeting distracted, reckless, impaired, and visibility-related violations. He stressed the need for a “whole-of-government approach” under the Trump Administration to uphold safety standards and protect American families. FMCSA Administrator Derek Barrs echoed this, noting that unqualified or impaired drivers endanger everyone, and the operation underscores the importance of focused enforcement to remove such risks from the roads.

Political Fallout and Broader Immigration Enforcement Issues

Critics, including DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin, highlighted systemic failures in states like New York and Pennsylvania, where licenses were issued to individuals without proper identity verification or legal status checks, such as an Indian national listed as “NO NAME” who was later arrested in Oklahoma.

Pennsylvania officials, including PennDOT Secretary Mike Carroll and Secretary of the Commonwealth Al Schmidt, defended their policies, insisting they verify non-citizens through the federal SAVE database and do not issue licenses to illegal immigrants.

The incidents have fueled debates over sanctuary policies, with figures like Secretary Noem criticizing “sanctuary politicians” amid ongoing ICE cooperation efforts one year into Trump’s second term.