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Gavin Newsom Tries to Weasel Out of Alleged Role in Fatal Florida Semi-Truck Incident, DHS Is Having None of It
Red State ^ | 08/18/2025 | Sister Toldjah

Posted on 08/18/2025 10:08:54 PM PDT by SeekAndFind

As RedState previously reported, there was a deadly incident in Florida on August 12th involving a tractor-trailer whose driver tried to make an illegal U-turn on the Florida Turnpike, which blocked the other lanes of traffic, which in turn caused a minivan that couldn't slow down to crash into its trailer.

Tragically, two of the three in the minivan died upon impact, while the driver later succumbed to their injuries. Videos showed not only the moment of impact but the driver of the semi, Harjinder Singh, looking emotionless while standing outside his vehicle as first responders frantically tried to reach the victims.

Four days after the incident, the Florida Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles Dept revealed that Singh, who is from India, had been in the country illegally since 2018, crossing over into the sanctuary state of California from Mexico, and that his Commercial Driver's License had been issued in California. 


READ MORE: Truck Driver Who Killed Three Was an Illegal Immigrant, and Now Gavin Newsom Is Implicated


DHS wasted no time lighting up California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) upon learning the news, issuing the following initial statement:

“Three innocent people were killed in Florida because Gavin Newsom’s California Department of Motor Vehicles issued an illegal alien a Commercial Driver’s License—this state of governance is asinine,” said Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin. “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.”

Singh obtained a Commercial Driver’s License (CDL) in California, despite having no legal right to be in the United States. Governor Newsom put Americans' lives directly at risk by arming this illegal alien with the ability to operate a 40-ton killing machine on U.S. highways. This reckless policy gave Singh the keys and three innocent people paid with their lives.

Instead of owning up, Newsom's deranged social media team tried to put it back on the Trump administration and, incredibly, bizarrely claimed that issuing IDs to illegals actually made Americans safer despite what had just happened in Florida:

Hey, genius: the federal government (TRUMP ADMIN) already confirmed that this guy meets federal and state immigration requirements -- YOU issued him a work permit (EAD).

As usual, the Trump Administration is either lying or clueless.

p.s. @grok, who was President in 2018?

https://t.co/OHVnC3zS20 pic.twitter.com/raF7hFWGkb— Governor Newsom Press Office (@GovPressOffice) August 18, 2025

Except the clueless ones, not surprisingly, are Newsom and staff, as McLaughlin pointed out:

False. Harjinder Singh is in the United States illegally and his work authorization was rejected under the Trump Administration on September 14, 2020. It was later approved under the Biden Administration June 9, 2021.  

The state of California issues Commercial Drivers Licenses. There is no national CDL.  

Sincerely, 

Genius

For the record, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has also weighed in, saying Singh should never have been here and stating that the trucking company should also be held accountable:

Illegal alien issued CDL by California. Doesn’t even speak English. Sanctuary policies are deadly.

Must hold the illegal alien accountable but also the other actors involved including the company.

https://t.co/GRCOkGJLI3— Ron DeSantis (@GovRonDeSantis) August 18, 2025

That said, for anyone wondering how Singh could get a CDL, considering a Social Security number is required, here's a good explainer from civil liberties attorney and California resident Laura Powell:

Some have been questioning how an illegal alien obtained a commercial driver’s license in California, since a Social Security Number is required by law.

If the alien makes an asylum claim, he can then apply for an Employment Authorization Document and a SSN, which makes eligible him for a CDL. (Of course, fraud is another possibility, but it appears this man obtained his license lawfully.)

I couldn’t find numbers on how many people are currently authorized to work in the United States through this method, but 45,750 were granted EADs in the first three months of this year alone.

Note that it is illegal under federal law to discriminate against someone on the basis of immigration status, so he could not be treated differently for having a temporary EAD.

States could make the requirements to obtain CDLs more stringent for everyone, but I don’t see any way for them to generally prohibit people in his position from obtaining CDLs.

The core problem here is the out of control asylum system.

Some have been questioning how an illegal alien obtained a commercial driver’s license in California, since a Social Security Number is required by law.

If the alien makes an asylum claim, he can then apply for an Employment Authorization Document and a SSN, which makes eligible him for a CDL. (Of course, fraud is another possibility, but it appears this man obtained his license lawfully.)

I couldn’t find numbers on how many people are currently authorized to work in the United States through this method, but 45,750 were granted EADs in the first three months of this year alone.

Note that it is illegal under federal law to discriminate against someone on the basis of immigration status, so he could not be treated differently for having a temporary EAD.

States could make the requirements to obtain CDLs more stringent for everyone, but I don’t see any way for them to generally prohibit people in his position from obtaining CDLs.

The core problem here is the out of control asylum system.

https://t.co/3ZMRJqliwZ— Laura Powell (@LauraPowellEsq) August 18, 2025

Singh faces vehicular homicide charges. An ICE detainer has also been placed on Singh.


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; News/Current Events; US: California
KEYWORDS: accident; california; demagogicparty; gavinnewsom; illegal; newsom; sociopath; truck
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1 posted on 08/18/2025 10:08:54 PM PDT by SeekAndFind
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To: SeekAndFind

Better to remain silent, and be thought a fool....


2 posted on 08/18/2025 10:10:52 PM PDT by gundog (The ends justify the mean tweets. )
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To: SeekAndFind

Family members should Sue the DNC.


3 posted on 08/18/2025 10:12:16 PM PDT by NoLibZone (Trump failures: leaving Antifa off Terror list,Market chaos. Hiring Bondi. )
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To: NoLibZone
Ever since the passage of AB 60, and the ban of illegals from getting commercial licenses, a cottage industry has popped up of bribing Department of Motor Vehicle workers in order to submit false documentation and dole out the commercial licenses anyway. Here is one instance from December, 2019, well after Newsom was installed as Governor. 

Last week, the owner of a California truck driving school was sentenced to prison for his part in scheme to sell Commercial Driver’s Licenses (CDL) to drivers who did not earn them. 

On June 12, 56 year old Paramjit Singh Mangat was sentenced to 14 months in prison and a $10,000 fine after he was convicted on a charge of unlawful production of an identification document and aiding and abetting, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office Eastern District of California. 

The court also ordered the forfeiture of $100,000 that had been earned through the CDL scheme.

This was not an isolated case. Three years later, in 2022, this story

The DOJ said in a news release that the 20 defendants included DMV employees, owners of trucking schools, the affiliates who bribed them and various others who conspired to bribe employees. 

According to the DOJ, they were charged with various crimes including, “bribery of public officials, identity fraud, unauthorized access of computers, and conspiracies to commit those offenses.” 

The actions of the defendants reportedly helped put unqualified commercial drivers who operated large commercial vehicles on highways despite the drivers not passing their written and driving tests. Employees would accept bribes to enter fraudulent scores for those who did not pass their tests and in some cases had not even taken the test.

There are several such stories. Now it would be fair to report that there are incidents of fraud in other states to get commercial licenses into the hands of those who should not have them.

4 posted on 08/18/2025 10:17:11 PM PDT by SeekAndFind
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To: All

Truck Driver Who Killed Three-—an Illegal Immigrant
from India—— and Now Gavin Newsom Is Implicated

Florida Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles Dept revealed that Singh, who is from India, had been in the country illegally since 2018-——in the Biden era free-for-all-——crossing over into the sanctuary state of California from Mexico, and that his Commercial Driver’s License had been issued in California.


5 posted on 08/18/2025 10:19:16 PM PDT by Liz (May you be in Heaven half an hour before the devil knows you're dead (Irish blessing))
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To: NoLibZone

English proficiency never mentioned
If you cant read the signs, big no driving here


6 posted on 08/18/2025 10:19:27 PM PDT by George from New England (escaped CT back in 2006)
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To: All

Democrats rigged the 2020 Census.
There are 20-30 Democrat seats in the House
that would NOT exist if illegals weren’t counted.
X ^ | Aug 7, 2025 | Charlie Kirk
Posted on 8/10/2025, 5:32:51 AM by george76

Democrats rigged the 2020 Census by rigorously letting in and counting illegals as if they were American citizens. There are 20-30 Democrat seats in the House that would NOT exist if illegals weren’t counted. Let’s fix this.


7 posted on 08/18/2025 10:23:46 PM PDT by Liz (May you be in Heaven half an hour before the devil knows you're dead (Irish blessing))
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To: AdmSmith; AnonymousConservative; Arthur Wildfire! March; Berosus; Bockscar; BraveMan; cardinal4; ...
Selections from a relevant keyword, sorted:

8 posted on 08/18/2025 10:52:22 PM PDT by SunkenCiv (NeverTrumpin' -- it's not just for DNC shills anymore -- oh, wait, yeah it is.)
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To: SeekAndFind
Gavin Newsom Tries to Weasel Out of Alleged Role in Fatal Florida Semi-Truck Incident, DHS Is Having None of It

Stupid headline makes it sound as though Newsom were riding shotgun in the semi, or otherwise physically present and involved in the traffic accident, itself!

Regards,

9 posted on 08/19/2025 12:03:24 AM PDT by alexander_busek (Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence.)
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To: SeekAndFind

Man with same name caused a bridge to collapse with oversized truck. It is a different guy


10 posted on 08/19/2025 12:10:17 AM PDT by RummyChick ( )
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To: SeekAndFind

As always, liberalism kills


11 posted on 08/19/2025 1:23:34 AM PDT by BigFreakinToad (All she is, is cackles in the wind.)
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To: NoLibZone

Family members should Sue the DNC, gavin newsom, California, joe biden


12 posted on 08/19/2025 1:59:25 AM PDT by ronnie raygun
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To: SeekAndFind

I suspect the company he was driving for is Sikh owned. I’ve read that they are prevalent out west and notorious for hiring Sikh immigrants...


13 posted on 08/19/2025 2:11:40 AM PDT by Hot Tabasco
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To: SeekAndFind

I read elsewhere that he was up for a speedy deportation but said he was ‘scared’ to go back to India so they let him stay.

Seriously. Whoever made that call needs to be outed. LOUDLY.


14 posted on 08/19/2025 2:18:46 AM PDT by Cowgirl of Justice
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To: Liz

This all on Newsom. He came here illegally during Newsom’s “Sanctuary State” defiance against Trump’s first term efforts against illegals. I see a discrepancy with the date of 2018 being “in the Biden era free-for-all”. Accuracy is important to credibility of statement, and unfortunately that is not accurate. Trump was in his second year of his first term as president in 2018. So to be accurate it would be “Newsom’s sanctuary state free for all”, Biden wasn’t actually president yet for another three years so unfortunately we can’t pin it on him too although I would like to...


15 posted on 08/19/2025 2:44:06 AM PDT by Openurmind (AI - An Illusion for Aptitude Intrusion to Alter Intellect. )
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To: SeekAndFind

I’m truly enjoying that the Trump Administration doesn’t hesitate to call out this supercilious twit.


16 posted on 08/19/2025 2:44:21 AM PDT by Enterprise ( These people have no honor, no belief, no poetry, no art, no humor, no patriotism.)
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To: Openurmind

Gavin Newsom is a weasel.


17 posted on 08/19/2025 2:47:02 AM PDT by minnesota_bound (Making money now. Still want much more.)
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To: SeekAndFind
Another criminal illegal alien KILLS innocent Americans with the help and consent of the democrats and gov. newscum. They as well as other enablers have once again gained more innocent American blood on their hands.

The democratic party, the failed senile former puppet president biden, the state of california, gov. newscum and the trucking company are all are libel and should be punished to the limit of the LAW.

Harjinder Singh was and is a criminal illegal alien. He was in the United States illegally and his work authorization was rejected under the Trump Administration on September 14, 2020. It was later approved under the Biden Administration June 9, 2021. "The criminal illegal alien obtained a Commercial Driver’s License (CDL) in California, despite having no legal right to be in the United States. Governor Newsom put Americans' lives directly at risk by arming this illegal alien with the ability to operate a 40-ton killing machine on U.S. highways. This reckless policy gave Singh the keys and three innocent people paid with their lives."

The most damming thing was that he, Singh showed NO emotion, no emotion at all in the videos of the accident or photos at the accident scene. -- where his reckless actions killed, murdered three people.

Sadly more names are add to this list.

VICTIMS OF ILLEGAL ALIENS MEMORIAL

18 posted on 08/19/2025 2:57:18 AM PDT by BFW (loss of signal)
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To: alexander_busek

Why would your subconscious even make you jump to defend Newsom at all? Does how this title is worded absolve Newsom of his negligent law and policy? This was during Newsom’s purposeful defiance against Trump’s efforts to remove illegals during his first term by declaring Ca a sanctuary state and opening his borders. Newsom’s personal policy was directly why this driver had a license in his wallet when he should not have. So yes... Newsom was right in his back pocket...


19 posted on 08/19/2025 2:59:42 AM PDT by Openurmind (AI - An Illusion for Aptitude Intrusion to Alter Intellect. )
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To: Hot Tabasco

“I suspect the company he was driving for is Sikh owned. I’ve read that they are prevalent out west and notorious for hiring Sikh immigrants...”

I’m in the industry. Many are independent owner operators. Ca is is very good about giving out government backed business loans to immigrant “Refugees”, even illegal immigrants who are labelled as “refugees”. They are eligible for these loans when U.S. citizens are not because of refugee status. It has been this way for decades and the federal taxpayers are on the hook. I have been watching it since the 70s. Every time we get involved with war somewhere we get an influx of refugees who go straight to blue states and get “refugee” loans to buy trucks and become truck drivers. The Indians and Sikhs have been intelligent enough over the years to play this system and slip themselves in refugees or not. Indians buy 7-11 franchises and Motels, and Sikhs buy trucks...


20 posted on 08/19/2025 3:17:07 AM PDT by Openurmind (AI - An Illusion for Aptitude Intrusion to Alter Intellect. )
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