Blow to Foreign Drivers: US Bans Work Visas for Foreign Truck Drivers After Fatal Florida Accident

New Delhi (The Uttam Hindu): In a dramatic policy shift, the United States has immediately suspended the issuance of work visas for foreign truck drivers, citing safety risks and job security for local workers. The announcement was made by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on social media platform X.

Rubio emphasized that the growing number of foreign drivers operating heavy trucks on American highways posed a serious threat to citizens’ safety and was also hurting the livelihood of domestic truckers.

The decision comes in the wake of a tragic accident in Florida on August 12, when Harjinder Singh, an illegal foreign truck driver, attempted a prohibited U-turn. His truck overturned on the highway, leading to a horrific crash that killed three people.

Following the accident, the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) issued an arrest warrant against Singh, sparking widespread debate over foreign drivers’ role in the American trucking industry. With the new directive, foreign nationals seeking truck-driving jobs in the US will no longer be granted work visas, a move seen as both a safety precaution and a protectionist step for American truckers.