‘Effective Immediately’: State Department Halts Worker Visas For Commercial Truck Drivers

Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced late Thursday that the State Department was not going to issue any additional work visas for commercial truck drivers, at least for the time being.

“Effective immediately we are pausing all issuance of worker visas for commercial truck drivers,” he said in a post on X. “The increasing number of foreign drivers operating large tractor-trailer trucks on U.S. roads is endangering American lives and undercutting the livelihoods of American truckers.”

Effective immediately we are pausing all issuance of worker visas for commercial truck drivers.

The increasing number of foreign drivers operating large tractor-trailer trucks on U.S. roads is endangering American lives and undercutting the livelihoods of American truckers.

— Secretary Marco Rubio (@SecRubio) August 21, 2025

Rubio’s announcement comes after an accident involving an immigrant from India — who received a work permit under former President Joe Biden and a commercial driver’s license from the state of California — resulted in the deaths of three American citizens in Florida.

As The Daily Wire previously reported, Harjinder Singh, who entered the United States illegally in 2018, was granted a commercial driver’s license in California. He made an illegal turn from the outside lane at a spot marked “Official Use Only,” and his truck crushed a minivan that had been driving in the inside lane. Singh has since been arrested for vehicular homicide and was slapped with an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detainer.

End of Summer Sale – Get 40% off New DailyWire+ Annual Memberships

The tragedy that unfolded in Florida also sparked a battle between Department of Homeland Security Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin and the X account run by Governor Gavin Newsom’s (D-CA) Press Office when McLaughlin argued that three American citizens would still be alive if not for the license granted to Singh in California.

3 innocent people were killed in Florida because Gavin Newsom’s California DMV issued an illegal alien a Commercial Driver’s License—this state of governance is asinine.

How many more innocent people have to die before @GavinNewsom stops playing games with the safety of the… pic.twitter.com/chT7ln1TTZ

— Tricia McLaughlin (@TriciaOhio) August 18, 2025

Newsom’s press office responded to McLaughlin with a graphic, saying that California does not issue commercial licenses to immigrants who do not have legal status and blaming Trump for that because Singh entered the country illegally in 2018.

“Hey, genius: the federal government (TRUMP ADMIN) already confirmed that this guy meets federal and state immigration requirements — YOU issued him a work permit (EAD). As usual, the Trump Administration is either lying or clueless. p.s. @grok, who was President in 2018?”

Hey, genius: the federal government (TRUMP ADMIN) already confirmed that this guy meets federal and state immigration requirements — YOU issued him a work permit (EAD).

As usual, the Trump Administration is either lying or clueless.

p.s. @grok, who was President in 2018? https://t.co/OHVnC3zS20 pic.twitter.com/raF7hFWGkb

— Governor Newsom Press Office (@GovPressOffice) August 18, 2025

McLaughlin pushed back, however, noting that the Trump administration had denied Singh’s request for a work visa and that he was not able to get one until former President Joe Biden’s administration took over.

“False. Harjinder Singh is in the United States illegally and his work authorization was rejected under the Trump Administration on September 14, 2020. It was later approved under the Biden Administration June 9, 2021. The state of California issues Commercial Drivers Licenses. There is no national CDL,” McLaughlin wrote, concluding her post, “Sincerely, Genius.”

False. Harjinder Singh is in the United States illegally and his work authorization was rejected under the Trump Administration on September 14, 2020. It was later approved under the Biden Administration June 9, 2021.

The state of California issues Commercial Drivers Licenses.… https://t.co/4YSs3qIj2B

— Tricia McLaughlin (@TriciaOhio) August 18, 2025