TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier is urging federal transportation officials to revoke the commercial driver’s license (CDL) program authority from California and Washington following a deadly crash on August 12 that resulted in three fatalities.
On Monday, Uthmeier announced that his office has sent a formal letter to the U.S. Department of Transportation and the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. In the letter, he argues that both states issued CDLs to an undocumented immigrant who later caused the fatal collision. The Attorney General emphasized that this incident highlights the dangers associated with what he referred to as “sanctuary-state policies.”
“States like California and Washington ignored the rules, gave an illegal immigrant a license to drive a 40-ton truck, and three people are dead as a result,” Uthmeier stated. “In response, we are increasing inspections at state entry points to identify illegal immigrants who may be operating large trucks with out-of-state licenses. If you’re here illegally or cannot speak English, you have no business operating commercial vehicles on Florida’s roads.”
This announcement was made during a joint press conference with Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS) Commissioner Wilton Simpson at an agricultural interdiction station along Interstate 10 in Live Oak. Simpson highlighted the department’s recent expansion of enforcement authority, noting that all FDACS law enforcement officers were certified in July under the federal 287(g) program, which allows them to assist with immigration enforcement.
“With 23 inspection stations across Florida and 100 percent of our officers now 287(g) certified, Agricultural Law Enforcement is in a unique position to help prevent tragedies like this one,” Simpson said. “These stations will serve as important checkpoints against human smuggling, fraudulent documents, and unsafe vehicles.”
Federal officials also expressed support for Florida’s enforcement measures. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Garrett Ripa stated that the 287(g) program “strengthens homeland security,” while Miami Sector Border Patrol Deputy Chief Samuel Briggs II emphasized that federal and state partnerships are crucial for ensuring public safety.
The Attorney General’s office cited findings from the U.S. Department of Transportation, which indicated that the truck driver involved in the crash had failed an English proficiency test, answering only two of twelve verbal questions correctly and identifying just one of four traffic signs. Despite this, Washington issued the driver a CDL in 2023, followed by California in 2024.
Uthmeier mentioned that his office intends to explore all available legal options to ensure the driver serves a prison sentence in Florida before any deportation proceedings begin. He added that Florida will continue to strengthen its interdiction stations and enforcement partnerships as part of a broader effort to crack down on immigration violations related to commercial trucking.
