Friday, December 5, 2025

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Illegal migrant truck licensing sparks outrage after fatal California crash

A senior trucking industry representative has condemned California’s licensing of illegal migrant drivers following a deadly highway crash involving an undocumented migrant who had obtained a U.S. commercial driver’s license.

Louis Pugh, executive vice president of the Independent Drivers Association and a 25-year veteran trucker, said the incident was “tragic and avoidable,” blaming years of regulatory loopholes and pressure to maintain cheap labour in the trucking industry. “This person should never have got a CDL in the first place,” Pugh told reporters, accusing California of defying Trump-era rules intended to prevent noncitizens from receiving commercial licenses.

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy also denounced California’s policy, calling it “outrageous” and urging Governor Gavin Newsom to enforce federal English-language and safety requirements for truckers.

Pugh backed Duffy’s stance, arguing that drivers who cannot read or communicate in English pose a direct threat to public safety. He called for passage of federal legislation such as H.R. 5688 to make the restrictions permanent nationwide, warning that without it, “unsafe and undertrained drivers will keep being put on the road.”

Pugh accused major carriers of exploiting a “false driver shortage” to hire low-wage, poorly trained operators, and said only stricter national training standards can prevent future tragedies.

 

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