In response to the deaths of three citizens at the hands of an illegal trucker from India in Florida last week, Secretary of States Marco Rubio that “Effective immediately we are pausing all issuance of worker visas for commercial truck drivers.”
The trucker, illegal alien Harjinder Singh, had been issued a commercial driver’s license (CDL) in both Washington state and California before causing the accident in Florida. Singh fled to California after the accident but was arrested and extradited back to Florida to stand trial. Under questioning, it became evident that he can neither speak English nor understand road signs. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy has promised to investigate how he was therefore allowed a CDL, in clear violation of national standards.
Due to the large variety of worker visas, it is not yet clear which visa awards will be paused. Neil Munro of Breitbart News writes:
Seasonal H-2B visas are also used to legally import truckers for the agriculture industry.
However, many foreign truckers use temporary B-1/B-2 visitor visas to illegally work, and many get E-2 investor visas that allow them to legally work as truckers in the United States.
Both are used in large numbers by Indians to get trucking jobs in the United States. Also, many Indians used F-1 student visas to get into the United States, but quickly and illegally take jobs in hotels, stores — and perhaps at trucking companies.
Foreign truckers in Mexico, Canada, and Eastern Europe also use the B-1/B-2 visa to drive in the United States.
In addition, Munro states that migrants currently working as drivers will not have their visas taken away. The new policy is for new applicants only.
Reports say that up to 16 percent of America’s truckers are foreign born.
For more, see Breitbart News.