The Donald Trump administration in the United States has put an immediate halt on issuing worker visas for commercial truck drivers, Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced on Thursday. Rubio, in a post on X, argued that the growing number of foreign drivers operating heavy tractor-trailers on American highways is putting lives at risk and undercutting US truckers’ livelihoods.
Effective immediately we are pausing all issuance of worker visas for commercial truck drivers.
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.
— Secretary Marco Rubio (@SecRubio) August 21, 2025
This latest move fits into a broader push by President Donald Trump’s administration to tighten rules around who gets behind the wheel of commercial trucks in the country. Back in April, Trump signed an executive order requiring strict enforcement of a long-standing rule: drivers must demonstrate English proficiency to operate legally in the US. The order overturned 2016 guidance that had been more lenient on violations related solely to English skills.
The renewed focus on trucking safety comes after a devastating crash earlier this week on a Florida highway. Federal and state officials say the driver involved, Harjinder Singh, was an Indian national who neither spoke English nor had legal authorisation to be in the United States. According to investigators, Singh attempted an illegal U-turn through an “Official Use Only” access point, blocking traffic and causing a collision that killed three people travelling in a minivan, reported news agency Reuters.
Singh has been charged with three counts of vehicular homicide. Florida authorities transferred him from California to face trial in the state. Efforts to identify his legal representation are still underway.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) has opened an investigation into the Florida crash, calling it a stark reminder of the dangers of lax enforcement. “Failing to uphold driver qualification standards not only undermines safety but also increases the likelihood of tragedies like this,” he said.
While English requirements for truckers have been on the books for years, the administration insists that stronger enforcement is essential. FMCSA data from 2023 shows that roughly 16% of commercial truck drivers in the U.S. were born outside the country. Reuters recently reported that in the Mexican border city of Ciudad Juárez, many Mexican truck drivers have begun taking English classes to comply with Trump’s order.
