Gavin Newsom Tangles With DHS Over Illegal Accused Of Killing Three Americans With Semi-Truck

Governor Gavin Newsom’s (D-CA) press office attempted to bait President Donald Trump’s Department of Homeland Security over a case involving an illegal immigrant who is accused of killing three American citizens while making an illegal u-turn on a Florida highway.

Harjinder Singh, who entered the United States illegally in 2018, was granted a commercial driver’s license in California. He made the 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.

As reports circulated about his illegal entry into the U.S. — and the fact that he’d obtained a driver’s license in California — DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin pointed to the sanctuary policies in the state of California under Newsom, arguing that those three people would still be alive otherwise.

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 with a graphic aimed at McLaughlin, laying out a timeline of the events and saying, “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?”

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The graphic noted that Singh had entered the United States illegally in 2018, during President Trump’s first term, one year before Newsom took office in California. It also noted that, in the state of California, a driver’s permit or license could not be issued to someone who did not have legal status.

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 fired right back, however, noting that Singh had applied for a work authorization while Trump was president the first time — and that it had been denied. It was not until President Joe Biden was in office that he was able to obtain the legal status necessary to get his license in the state of California.

“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