TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Florida Attorney General James Usmierer is urging federal transport officials to revoke the Commercial Driver’s License (CDL) Programs Bureau from California and Washington, a fatal crash that killed three people on Aug. 12.
On Monday, Uthmeier announced that his office had sent a formal letter to the U.S. Department of Transportation and the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Agency. In the letter, he alleges that both countries issued CDLs to undocumented migrants, which later caused fatal clashes. The Attorney General stressed that the incident underscores the dangers associated with what he called “sanctuary national policy.”
“States like California and Washington ignored the rules and granted illegal immigrants licenses to drive a 40-ton truck, resulting in three deaths,” Uthmeier said. “In response, we’re increasing the number of testing at state entrances to identify illegal immigrants operating heavy trucks with out-of-state licenses. If you’re illegally here or don’t speak English, there’s no business operating commercial vehicles on Florida roads.”
The announcement came at a joint press conference with Commissioner Wilton Simpson of the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS) at the Agricultural Blockade Station along the Interstate of Live Oak. Simpson highlighted the recent expansion of the department’s enforcement body, highlighting that all FDACS law enforcement officials were accredited in July under the Federal 287(g) program.
“Florida’s 23 inspection stations and 100% of current 287(g) certified officers are in a unique position to prevent such tragedy,” Simpson said. “These stations serve as important checkpoints for human smuggling, fraudulent documents and unsafe vehicles.”
Federal authorities also expressed support for Florida’s enforcement action. Garrett Lipa, the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agency, said the 287(g) program “helps homeland security,” and Samuel Briggs II, Deputy Director of the Border Patrol for the Miamisector, emphasized that federal and state partnerships are important to ensure public safety.
The Attorney General’s Office cited the findings of the U.S. Department of Transportation investigation. This showed that the truck driver involved in the crash failed the English proficiency test, answering only two of the 12 verbal questions correctly, identifying only one of the four traffic signs. Despite this, Washington issued a CDL for drivers in 2023, followed by California in 2024.
Uthmeier said his office intends to explore all legal options available to ensure that drivers serve prison terms in Florida before deportation proceedings begin. He added that Florida will continue to strengthen its enforcement partnership with the Department of Blockade as part of a broader effort to crack down on immigration violations related to commercial transport.
