Illegal immigrant truck driver in fatal California crash should never have had license: DOT report

President Donald Trump’s Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy issued a bombshell report Thursday night accusing California of violating federal law by issuing a commercial driver’s license to a foreign asylum seeker whose semi-truck crash killed three people earlier this week.

The report alleges that Gov. Gavin Newsom’s administration ignored a federal order to halt noncompliant licenses and revoke improperly issued credentials, a failure that, according to Duffy, cost “three innocent souls.”

California also allegedly violated federal law by upgrading the non-domiciled commercial drivers license (CDL) of the Indian national tied to the fatal crash, Jashanpreet Singh, despite a federal emergency rule and compliance notice issued Sept. 26.

WHITE HOUSE SAYS CALIFORNIA GRANTED LICENSE TO ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT TRUCKER CHARGED IN FATAL DUI CRASH
 

U.S. Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy speaks alongside House GOP leaders during a press conference on air traffic controller pay and the government shutdown at the U.S. Capitol on October 23, 2025, in Washington, D.C.  (Eric Lee/Getty Images)

“My prayers are with the families of the victims of this tragedy. It would have never happened if Gavin Newsom had followed our new rules. California broke the law and now three people are dead and two are hospitalized. These people deserve justice. There will be consequences,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy. 

California issued the CDL to Singh on June 27, according to federal records. A Department of Transportation audit on Sept. 26 flagged “significant compliance failures” in the state’s licensing process, yet on Oct. 15, officials reportedly upgraded the driver’s license despite federal restrictions. 

Just six days later, on Oct. 21, the license holder was behind the wheel of a semi-truck involved in a fatal freeway crash that killed three people.

The Department of Transportation has given California 30 days to identify and revoke all noncompliant licenses or risk federal funding penalties.

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The California DMV did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.