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U.S. Pauses Worker Visas for Commercial Truck Drivers After Deadly Florida Crash

Officials say the pause will allow updates to vetting and qualification checks following a fatal Florida crash under federal investigation.

A commercial truck can be seen transporting a mobile home wide load on trucking route Interstate 10, Louisiana, USA (Photo by Tim Graham/Getty Images)
Trucks drive into a California Highway Patrol inspection station after entering from Mexico in Otay Mesa, California on July 31, 2025
Trucks lined up at the U.S.-Mexico border in Jan. 2025. Photo: Carlos Moreno/Bloomberg via Getty Images
Harjinder Singh is escorted onto an airplane by Florida Lt. Gov. Jay Collins and law enforcement on Thursday in Stockton.

Overview

  • Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the suspension takes effect immediately, with a State Department spokesperson specifying it covers applicants seeking to operate commercial trucks on H-2B, E-2 and EB-3 visas.
  • The Department of State said the freeze will remain while it coordinates with the Departments of Labor and Homeland Security to review screening and vetting protocols; no end date was provided.
  • DOT and the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration are investigating the Aug. 12 Florida Turnpike crash, and officials say driver Harjinder Singh failed an English-proficiency assessment during a compliance review.
  • The move aligns with President Trump’s April order to strictly enforce the long‑standing English requirement for commercial drivers, reversing 2016 guidance that limited out‑of‑service actions for language deficiencies.
  • A broader dispute continues over how the driver obtained work authorization and CDLs in Washington and California, as the administration also pursues continuous vetting of more than 55 million visa holders and industry groups warn of ongoing driver shortages.