DHS to deport illegal immigrant driver after fatal crash

The Department of Homeland Security on Monday said it planned to take into custody and deport a truck driver who caused a crash that killed three Florida residents last week. Harjinder Singh, who entered the United States illegally in 2018, made an illegal U-turn on a highway in St. Lucie County while driving a semitruck, according to DHS. His turn suddenly blocked all the lanes of the highway, causing a minivan to plow into the semitruck. The car’s three occupants died, according to Florida's highway safety department.

Florida law enforcement arrested Singh and charged him with state vehicular homicide counts as well as immigration violations. He would be deported after his prosecution on the state charges concluded, the Florida highway safety department said. It wasn’t immediately clear if Singh had retained a lawyer or how he intended to plead.

Was Singh driving the truck legally? He had a commercial driver’s license from California, according to DHS. California law allows illegal immigrants who can prove their identity and state residency to apply for driver’s licenses. DHS and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis sharply criticized that policy following the crash. DeSantis also said the company employing Singh as a driver should be held accountable.

Dig deeper: Read Lauren Canterberry’s story on a Maryland pastor’s release from immigration detention.