(WSVN) - Florida’s attorney general has announced that some trucking weigh stations along major highways will now serve as immigration checkpoints as the state aims to crackdown on drivers who are undocumented and have out-of-state licenses.
During a Monday morning news conference in Live Oak, Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier said the focus will be to find undocumented migrants who may be behind the wheels of trucks using out-of-state licenses.
“We’re continuing to crack down and interdict others who may have gotten into Florida from other sanctuary states,” he said.
The program specifically targets checkpoints operated by the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services along major interstate highways. 23 of those stations are mostly in the northern part of the state.
Uthmeier’s announcement came weeks after a 28-year-old driver, Harjinder Singh, was arrested and accused of making an illegal U-turn on the Turnpike near Fort Pierce that killed three people from South Florida.
“There is major liability here. Our office is investigating both the actions of other sanctuary jurisdictions as well as the agents and companies that, you know, provided these exams or lack thereof. It’s hard to imagine a situation where somebody doesn’t speak English can actually go through one of these exams and receive the necessary authorization. If you can’t read street signs, how are you going to drive large commercial vehicles, 18 wheelers, tractor trailers in a safe manner,” said Uthmeier.
Following the deadly crash, Singh returned to California where he was arrested and then extradited to Florida to face justice.
Homeland Security officials say Singh entered the U.S. illegally from Mexico in 2018 and somehow got a work permit and a commercial drivers license in California.
Florida’s Commissioner of Agriculture Wilton Simpson said the state will comply with President Donald Trump’s executive order on truck drivers and the English language.
“If you are driving a commercial vehicle and you are not proficient in English, we will comply with the president’s executive order,” he said.
Uthmeier had a message to all CDL drivers across the state of Florida.
“If you have obtained a driver’s license from one of these sanctuary states like California, Washington or in the case of the driver from last night, New Jersey, those licenses are no good here,” he said.
Speaking to 7News on Monday afternoon, truck drivers in Pompano Beach said they don’t mind the changes.
“That guy was supposed to know better. They say he couldn’t read the English language so he really had no business in the truck. And to be making that U-turn on official only use, we all know that’s a no-no here,” said trucker Trell.
Trell said he considers his job a big responsibility.
“I mean if its going to better the lives of your family, my family, and people that travel the highway every day. I mean I think it’s a good thing to be honest with you,” he said.
Officials said a new inspection station will open up near the Florida-Alabama state line.
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