The truck driver accused of making an illegal U-turn that killed three people in Florida is seen in a police video recorded in July interacting and understanding English. The Department of Homeland Security has said Harjinder Singh, a native of India, was in the country illegally. So, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said he should not have been granted a commercial driver's license by Washington and California. He said New Mexico should have pulled Singh off the road for not speaking English after he was pulled over in July, because he later failed a test given by DOT investigators after the Florida crash. But the governor's office in New Mexico said a video of the police stop of Singh makes it clear that he understands English. The new development comes amid Trump administration’s threats to withhold federal funding from three states unless they add English proficiency as a requirement for commercial truck drivers. Watch the video to know more.
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Truck Driver Illegal U-Turn | Harjinder Singh Case | Florida Fatal Crash | DHS Illegal Immigrant | Commercial Driver's License Issue | Sean Duffy Statement | New Mexico Police Video | DOT Investigator Test | Trump Administration Funding Threats | Firstpost America | Eric Ham | War | Geopolitics | Global Economy | Firstpost | World News | Latest News | Global News | International News | Trending News
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00:00A newly released body cam footage is challenging the story federal authorities have been telling about a deadly crash in Florida.
00:08The footage recorded in New Mexico in July shows truck driver Harzinder Singh interacting and understanding English during a roadside stop.
00:17This matters because after a deadly crash in Florida this month, federal officials claimed Singh did not speak English and should never have been issued a license to drive in the United States.
00:27Singh is accused of making an illegal U-turn on Florida's turnpike, blocking the highway, causing a minivan to slam into his trailer, which left three people dead.
00:37Singh and his fellow passenger were not injured and he now faces three counts of vehicular homicide and separate immigration violations.
00:46Authorities say that Singh, a native of India, entered the United States illegally from Mexico in 2018.
00:51The Department of Homeland Security confirmed his status and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis quickly blamed federal licensing failures, insisting Singh should have never been allowed to drive.
01:02The controversy widened after Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy accused Washington, California and New Mexico of mishandling Singh's license.
01:11He said New Mexico should have never pulled Singh off the road, should have pulled Singh off the road last July for not speaking English because he later failed a test given by investigators after the Florida crash.
01:23Yet the recently released video seems to tell a very different story.
01:28The governor's office in New Mexico said the video of the police stop makes it clear that Singh, in fact, understands English.
01:35So what I'm going to do here is instead of writing it for $60 and a $45, I'm just going to write it for $55 and a $45, all right, since you said that you were starting to slow down.
01:43I'm going to help you out, okay?
01:45It's just $55 and a $45. The fine is only $25.
01:48Thank you, sir.
01:49If you have 30 days to pay it, you can pay it online by phone or through the mail, or you can come back and see a judge.
01:545 here and then no ticket.
01:56No tickets?
01:57Yeah.
01:58I hate to be the first guy to write you a ticket, but...
02:01Full name, sir?
02:02Yes, sir.
02:03Maybe this is my ticket, and my license, or how many years?
02:08Don't quote me on this.
02:09I think a ticket will stay anywhere from five to seven years, depending on what state you're going to do.
02:14Depending on what you're going to do.
02:17The Trump administration has taken a series of steps to address concerns about foreign truck drivers who do not speak English.
02:24In fact, last week, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the U.S. was immediately pausing the issuance of all work visas for commercial truck drivers.
02:32The decision marks the latest in a series of efforts by the White House to clamp down on foreign workers and has deepened immigration woes, sparking concern among Indian nationals working in the U.S. trucking industry.
02:45According to the industry groups, more than half of foreign-born drivers in the U.S. come from Latin America, with sizable numbers in recent years from both India and Eastern European nations.
02:55The threat widened on Tuesday when Duffy threatened to withhold millions in federal highway funding from states if they don't require commercial truck drivers to know English before obtaining licenses.
03:07While the English proficiency standard for truckers was already long-standing U.S. law, Trump's executive order in April reversed a 2016 guidance that inspectors should not place commercial drivers out of service.
03:20Their only violation was the lack of English.
03:23For now, one man faces homicide charges, three families grieve their loss, and the Trump administration is rewriting the rules of the road.
03:29What began as a tragedy on the turnpike has become a test of power, policy, and politics, and its impact is only beginning to unfold.
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