Tipsheet

Duffy Puts Three States on Notice for Failing to Enforce English Proficiency Among Truckers

Leah Barkoukis
Leah Barkoukis  |  August 26, 2025 10:15 AM

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy identified three states at risk of losing federal funding if they do not comply with the Trump administration’s English Language Proficiency Standards for commercial truck drivers.

Washington, New Mexico, and California have 30 days to comply, Duffy said, emphasizing that losing federal funding under the Motor Carrier Safety Assistance Program is just “phase one” and that there are other options on the table to ensure compliance.

In remarks Monday, Duffy highlighted the tragic death of three Floridians when illegal immigrant trucker Harjinder Singh, who obtained commercial driver’s licenses in California and Washington, allegedly attempted to make a turn in an unauthorized area.

“States don’t get to pick and choose which federal safety rules to follow,” Duffy said. “As we saw with the horrific Florida crash that killed three, when states fail to enforce the law, they put the driving public in danger.”

After the crash, Singh’s English language and road sign proficiency was tested by federal investigators, who revealed the foreign national only answered 2 of 12 verbal questions correctly and properly identified just one of the four signs. 

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“This is about keeping people safe on the road,” Duffy added. “We all use the roadway, and we need to make sure that those who are driving big rigs, semis, can understand the road signs, that they’ve been well trained, and that when they’re stopped by law enforcement or there’s a crash, they can effectively communicate on their rig."