Transportation Secretary Threatens Funding Cuts for 3 States Over Trucker English Rules

California, Washington, and New Mexico have 30 days to enforce English-proficiency rules for truckers or potentially lose key federal safety funds.

A driving instructor talks to a student driver at the California Truck Driving Academy in Inglewood, Calif., on Nov. 17, 2021. Jae C. Hong/AP Photo

The Trump administration has threatened to withhold millions of dollars in federal funds from California, Washington state, and New Mexico unless the states begin enforcing new English language requirements for truck drivers.

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy announced on Aug. 26 that the three states have 30 days to comply with federal rules or risk losing up to 100 percent of their Motor Carrier Safety Assistance Program (MCSAP) grants, which support inspections and other enforcement programs.

California stands to lose about $30 million, Washington $10 million, and New Mexico $7 million, Duffy said at a press conference, in which he highlighted a deadly crash in Florida in which a foreign truck driver made an illegal U-turn that killed three people.

“All of us saw what happened in Florida,” Duffy said. “Where we had an individual who—we tested this individual after the crash, but no doubt he could not speak the English language and could not understand road signs when he was operating that very deadly rig.”

Duffy said a federal review of the Florida crash exposed significant shortcomings in how California, Washington state, and New Mexico enforce English-language standards mandated by an April executive order issued by President Donald Trump. Although English-proficiency requirements for truckers have long been part of U.S. law, Trump’s order overturned 2016 guidance that barred inspectors from sidelining drivers solely for failing to speak English.

Federal investigators said the driver, Harjinder Singh, failed an English proficiency test, answering only two of 12 questions and identifying one of four road signs. Despite his being ineligible as an illegal immigrant, the state of Washington issued him a full-term commercial license in 2023, and California issued him a limited-term license in 2024.

New Mexico also cited Singh for speeding in July but did not test his English skills. The state has yet to enforce the new English-language rules that took effect in June. Singh faces vehicular homicide and immigration charges and is being held without bond.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s spokesperson, Diana Crofts-Pelayo, told The Epoch Times in an emailed statement that Duffy’s announcement is an attempt to deflect responsibility for the crash.

“This is rich. The Trump Administration approved the federal work permit for the man who killed 3 people—and now they’re scrambling to shift blame after getting caught,” she said.

The other two states did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

In an X post on Aug. 18, Department of Homeland Security spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin noted that Singh’s application for a work permit was denied in 2020 under the Trump administration but later approved in 2021 after President Joe Biden took office, as part of Singh’s pending asylum claim.

Newsom’s office said that the work permit is what allowed California’s DMV to issue him a REAL ID-compliant commercial license, and blamed the Trump administration for failing to revoke it.

The Epoch Times has reached out to the White House for comment.

“This one driver touched all three states,” Duffy said, adding that he hopes California, Washington state, and New Mexico come into compliance with the English language proficiency requirements within 30 days so the department won’t have to withhold funds.

“But if they don’t come into compliance, we will start with withholding this money, and then we will take additional steps to guarantee compliance,” Duffy said. “And this is not—just to be clear—this is not just about saying we have some obscure rule that we want them to comply with, that truck drivers speak English proficiently. This is about keeping people safe on the road.”

The Transportation Department said California has carried out about 34,000 inspections since the new English-language rules took effect, but only once was a driver taken off the road for failing to meet the standard. Inspectors also allowed 23 drivers previously cited elsewhere for language deficiencies to keep driving. Washington state reported more than 6,000 inspections but only sidelined four drivers, while New Mexico has yet to disqualify anyone.

The nation’s largest trucking lobby echoed Duffy’s concerns, with American Trucking Associations CEO Chris Spear saying that failing to enforce the rules endangers everyone on the road.

“Every commercial driver operating in the United States must be able to read road signs, communicate with law enforcement, and understand safety instructions,“ Spear said. ”When states fail to enforce these standards, they put lives at risk.”

Duffy’s campaign to bolster road safety through English-language proficiency enforcement coincides with a broader crackdown on foreign drivers.

“Effective immediately, we are pausing all issuance of worker visas for commercial truck drivers,” Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in an Aug. 21 post on X. “The increasing number of foreign drivers operating large tractor-trailer trucks on U.S. roads is endangering American lives and undercutting the livelihoods of American truckers.”