‘Criminal illegal aliens’: White House flags 'disturbing pattern' after Indian trucker crash in California; calls out 'serious gaps'

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt on Thursday highlighted what she called a “disturbing pattern” of criminal illegal aliens being issued commercial driver’s licenses (CDLs), after trucker Jashanpreet Singh, a 21-year-old 'illegal' immigrant from India, was charged in a California crash that killed three people.

Leavitt accused California of issuing a CDL to Singh, who drove under the influence and caused a fiery pile-up on Interstate 10 earlier this week. The Department of Transportation (DoT) has launched an investigation into how Singh obtained his license.

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“California gave this individual a license, and it’s something the Department of Transportation has already looked into,” Leavitt said during a White House briefing. “Secretary Duffy has been cracking down on licenses being wrongfully issued to people who clearly should not hold such positions.”

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"As for this case in California, on October 22, ICE lodged an immigration detainer for this individual following his arrest by local authorities in California on charges of manslaughter while intoxicated and driving under the influence. He killed three people. And he first entered the United States in 2022 through the southern border. And he was released into our country by the previous administration. ICE has lodged a separate detainer for this individual. And these tragedies are following a disturbing pattern of these criminal illegal aliens being issued commercial vehicle licenses. The Department of Transportation is absolutely cracking down on that," she said.

Singh, who entered the US illegally through the southern border in 2022, was released pending an immigration hearing under the Biden administration’s “alternatives to detention” policy. He has since been arrested and charged with gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated and driving under the influence causing injury.

Federal authorities confirmed that ICE has lodged a detainer against him following his arrest.

Dashcam footage from the crash showed Singh’s semi-truck slamming into multiple vehicles on the I-10 freeway in San Bernardino County, killing three people and injuring four others. Investigators say he was impaired and never hit the brakes before impact.

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said Singh’s case reflects a broader safety concern involving commercial drivers who lack proper immigration status or English proficiency.

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy renewed criticism of California’s licensing policies, arguing that the state’s refusal to enforce federal English-language requirements for truck drivers has created safety risks.

“This tragedy wouldn’t have happened if Governor Newsom had followed the new rules,” Duffy said, adding that the federal government will withhold $40 million in highway safety funds from California for failing to comply.

California officials, however, said Singh’s federal work authorization was approved multiple times by the US government — allowing him to legally obtain a commercial license under existing law.

The fatal crash follows another high-profile incident in Florida, where Harjinder Singh, also an Indian national who entered the US illegally in 2018, was charged in August for a truck crash that killed three people. Both cases have reignited debate over immigration, licensing, and road safety in the trucking industry.

Immigrants make up nearly one in five long-haul truck drivers in the US, according to the American Trucking Associations.