Florida is expanding immigration enforcement after an Aug. 12 truck crash on Florida’s Turnpike killed three people. Attorney General James Uthmeier said the state’s 23 agricultural interdiction stations will also serve as immigration checkpoints, and he asked federal regulators to revoke California’s and Washington’s commercial driver’s license program authority.
Florida Expands Immigration Enforcement After Fatal Turnpike Crash
Florida officials are stepping up immigration enforcement on the state’s highways following an Aug. 12 crash on Florida’s Turnpike in St. Lucie County that killed three people. On Aug. 25, 2025, Attorney General James Uthmeier announced that the state’s agricultural inspection stations will also serve as immigration checkpoints, and that Florida is pressing federal regulators to act against states that issued the driver his commercial license.
State officials framed the measures as a road-safety effort. Some truck drivers and critics said the checks go too far.
The Fatal Truck Crash: What Happened on Aug. 12
Authorities say truck driver Harjinder Singh, a native of India, made an illegal U-turn on the Turnpike, causing a collision that killed three people. The Trump administration said Singh was in the country illegally.
Singh was arrested in California and extradited to Florida, where he faces three counts of vehicular homicide as well as immigration violations. He was denied bond and is being held in the St. Lucie County Jail, and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has placed a hold on him.
According to CBS News Miami, Washington issued Singh a commercial driver’s license (CDL) in 2023 and California issued him one in 2024. Federal officials said that after the crash he failed an English proficiency test, correctly answering 2 of 12 verbal questions and identifying 1 of 4 traffic signs.
The case set off a dispute between the Department of Homeland Security and California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s administration over how Singh obtained a work permit and license.
Florida Targets California and Washington Licensing
Uthmeier said he was sending a formal letter to the U.S. Department of Transportation and the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration urging them to revoke California’s and Washington’s authority to run CDL programs and to strip related federal funding.
“States like California and Washington ignored the rules, gave an illegal alien a license to drive a 40-ton truck,” Uthmeier said. He also said his office is pursuing legal action to make sure Singh serves a lengthy prison sentence before any deportation.
Checkpoints: What Is Changing on Florida Highways
Uthmeier made the announcement with Florida Agriculture Commissioner Wilton Simpson at an interdiction station along Interstate 10 in Live Oak. Florida has 23 agricultural interdiction stations, where trucks that may be carrying agricultural goods must stop so officers can check for pests, diseases and unsafe products.
Under the new plan, the stations will also serve as immigration checkpoints. Officers will check for fraudulent documents, unsafe vehicles and drivers’ English proficiency. “There’s no telling how many illegal aliens are in this country driving large commercial vehicles,” Uthmeier said.
“Agricultural Law Enforcement officers are uniquely skilled and positioned to help prevent another tragedy,” Simpson said.
Some early reports said the checks would take place at all truck weigh stations. CBS News Miami later clarified that the enforcement will happen at the agricultural interdiction stations, which are separate from weigh stations.
Florida’s Use of the 287(g) Program
All sworn law enforcement officers with the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services were certified in July under the federal 287(g) program, which allows trained state and local officers to work with federal authorities on immigration enforcement. They will staff the checkpoints with federal and state partners.
Florida has been one of the most active states in expanding 287(g) agreements this year. Supporters say the program helps remove people in the country illegally who pose safety risks; civil rights groups have warned it can lead to racial profiling during traffic stops.
Legal Questions
Immigration status is governed by federal law, while states enforce traffic, licensing and safety rules. Legal experts say checkpoint operations must also comply with the Fourth Amendment’s limits on searches and seizures. Any legal challenges to the new checks would likely focus on those questions.
What Truck Drivers Are Saying
Drivers interviewed by CBS News Miami were divided. Duane Harris, who has driven trucks for 12 years, said, “That’s a little too much. They already have people who talk to us verbally and speak to us,” adding that existing federal inspections work well.
Jacob Ordonez, a driver from Texas, supported the plan. “I think it’s a great idea. For one if you are illegal and driving you should not have a CDL to begin with,” he said.
What Comes Next
Singh’s criminal case will proceed in St. Lucie County. Federal regulators have not yet acted on Florida’s request regarding California’s and Washington’s CDL programs, and the new checkpoint operations are expected to draw continued debate over road safety, civil liberties and federal-state roles.
Source: CBS News Miami
