Nevertheless, from the Trump administration those arguments were refuted and California's explanation was described as an attempt to divert responsibility. Duffy insisted that federal intervention was necessary and recalled that his "emergency rule" was issued precisely because of the level of noncompliance detected. "It was that serious," he emphasized.
Federal pressure intensified after recent cases that raised safety alarms, such as Harjinder Singh, who entered the country illegally in 2018 and faces three counts of vehicular homicide after a fatal accident in Florida.
Singh, who held a commercial license issued by California, did not pass basic English or traffic sign tests. The DOT revealed that he correctly identified only 1 out of 4 signs and answered only 2 out of 12 verbal questions correctly.
Another case highlighted by federal authorities is Jashanpreet Singh, also an illegal immigrant, accused of vehicular homicide while driving under the influence of alcohol. He had been detained by the Border Patrol in 2022 but was released pending an immigration hearing before obtaining the CDL in California.
