The brother of an Indian truck driver charged in a fatal Florida turnpike crash has been arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), officials announced on Thursday.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said in a news release that ICE arrested Harneet Singh, 25, on August 18.
St. Lucie County Sheriff’s Office/ DHS
The Context
On August 12, Harjinder Singh, Harneet Singh’s brother, attempted an unauthorized U-turn through an “Official Use Only” access point in St. Lucie County while driving an 18-wheeler, according to the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (FLHSMV).
Video from the truck’s cab shows a black Chrysler Town and Country minivan striking the tractor-trailer head-on as it made the illegal U-turn. Two passengers, a 37-year-old woman from Pompano Beach and a 54-year-old man from Miami, were killed at the scene. The 30-year-old driver from Florida City later died at a hospital, FLHSMV officials told Newsweek.
Harneet Singh was a passenger in the vehicle driven by his brother during the fatal crash, DHS said. Harjinder Singh has been charged with three counts of vehicular homicide. The department said both brothers had entered the United States illegally.
What To Know
After Florida authorities secured a warrant charging tractor-trailer driver Harjinder Singh with three counts of vehicular homicide, U.S. Marshals arrested him in Stockton, California, on Saturday.
His extradition to Florida remains uncertain. State troopers confirmed that a federal immigration detainer had been issued, which could lead to deportation proceedings after the criminal case concludes.
DHS criticized California’s state licensing practices, which the department said allowed the driver to operate a commercial vehicle.
California’s Assembly Bill 60 (AB 60), passed in 2015, permits undocumented immigrants to obtain a driver’s license if they can verify their identity and California residency. These licenses are labeled as “not for federal identification.”
Border Patrol encountered Harneet Singh on May 15, 2023, and he was released into the United States under the Biden administration, DHS said.
Harjinder Singh entered the United States illegally when he crossed the southern border in 2018, FLHSMV said.
In response to criticism from the White House, California Governor Gavin Newsom‘s press office noted on X that Singh had entered the United States in 2018, under the first Trump administration, before the governor took office.
On August 21, Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced that effective immediately the government was pausing the issuance of worker visas for commercial truck drivers.
What People Are Saying
White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson said: “This recent news is a devastating tragedy made even worse by the fact that it was totally preventable. Illegal aliens that have no legal right to be in our country certainly should not be granted commercial driver’s licenses. Gavin Newscum’s pro-illegal alien policies have deadly consequences. Yet he continues to double down and put illegals over American citizens.”
Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said in a statement: “How many more innocent people must die before Gavin Newsom stops playing games with the safety of the American public? We pray for the victims and their families. Secretary Noem and DHS are working around the clock to protect the public and get these criminal illegal aliens out of America.”
American Trucking Associations Chief Operating Officer Dan Horvath told Newsweek: “This is a horrific tragedy that should never have happened. While an investigation is underway, this driver’s blatant disregard for highway safety and the rules of the road makes clear he should never have been behind the wheel to begin with.”
What Happens Next
ICE said Harneet Singh would remain in custody pending removal proceedings.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by PostX News and is published from a syndicated feed.)
