Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem has criticized sanctuary states for allegedly granting commercial driver’s licenses to undocumented immigrants, warning that untrained drivers are turning 18-wheelers into “weapons.”
During an appearance Thursday on “America Reports,” Noem called out California Gov. Gavin Newsom following a tragic October 21 crash that killed three people and involved an undocumented immigrant truck driver.
“He is handing out driver’s licenses to people with no documentation. Some of these individuals aren’t even giving a name,” Noem said, noting that officials have discovered licenses labeled “no name given” used to obtain commercial credentials.
Both Noem and Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy have accused Newsom of enabling undocumented immigrants to secure commercial licenses. Their scrutiny follows the October 21 incident on a Southern California freeway, where 21-year-old Indian national Jashanpreet Singh allegedly drove a semi-truck while under the influence, causing a multi-vehicle collision that left three dead.
“We’re really seeing and peeling back the onion on who is allowing these dangerous individuals to get on our roads and get behind 18-wheelers that turn into weapons when they don’t know how to use them, they don’t know how to operate them, and they can’t speak our language or interpret our laws,” Noem said.
Newsom’s office, meanwhile, placed blame on the federal government, arguing that federal policies enabled the suspect to obtain a license. The governor’s office also stated that California’s commercial driver’s licensing system adheres to federal regulations.
“Lost in the immigrant-bashing is the fact that drivers holding a California-issued CDL are involved in fatal crashes at a rate far lower than the national average,” a Newsom spokesperson told Fox News Digital. “If the focus were on safety, California should be a poster child, not a scapegoat.”
Noem added that the Department of Homeland Security’s enforcement efforts have already resulted in numerous arrests of undocumented truck drivers.
“Operation Midway Blitz has already removed over 140 illegal alien truck drivers in Indiana. The brave men and women of @ICEgov and the Indiana State Police are working nonstop to get criminal illegal aliens out of our communities and off our roads,” she wrote on X, formerly Twitter.
