A Florida lawmaker has introduced more stringent regulations to curb undocumented immigrants from driving commercial vehicles in the Sunshine State.
Pensacola Republican Sen. Don Gaetz filed the measure (SB 86), which would strengthening penalties and enforcement action to prevent an “unauthorized alien” from operating commercial motor vehicles.
Under the legislation, Florida law enforcement officers would be able to take an unauthorized alien into custody and coordinate their transfer with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement or other immigration authorities in accordance with federal law.
Furthermore, the commercial vehicle that was driven by the unauthorized alien would be required to be impounded.
The bill would impose significant financial penalties for the owner of an impounded vehicle, including a $50,000 fine payable to the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles, and any associated costs or fees related to the impoundment — including the cost of notification — before it would be released back to the owner.
Motor carriers that own, lease, or operate a commercial motor vehicle driven by an unauthorized alien who is taken into custody would be banned from conducting any future business in Florida.
The bill comes after Harjinder Singh, who gained a commercial driver’s license in the state of California after reportedly crossing the Mexican border into the U.S. illegally, was accused of making an illegal U-turn on the Florida Turnpike which caused a deadly crash in August.
Singh was driving an 18-wheeler at the time he allegedly attempted to make the U-turn in an area restricted to emergency vehicles only. He now faces three counts of vehicular homicide and manslaughter.
Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier announced Thursday that he has filed a lawsuit against California with the U.S. Supreme Court over the state’s sanctuary policies that allowed Singh to gain a commercial license in the first place.
“California’s and Washington’s open defiance of federal immigration laws is well-documented. Both States routinely frustrate and hinder federal law enforcement from addressing the immigration crisis and the destruction that accompanies it,” the lawsuit reads.
In an interview with Fox News host Sean Hannity, Uthmeier said the lawsuit was filed on behalf of Florida to hold those states accountable for the “carnage” their immigration policies have caused across the country.
Uthmeier added that combating illegal immigration is possible, but noted leaders like California Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom and “liberals on the West Coast” are hindering the effort by allowing unauthorized immigrants to stay in the U.S.
“They encourage them, enable them to get these driver’s licenses, and then they cross the country and ultimately take lives,” Uthmeier said.
If passed, the bill would take effect July 1, 2026.