OPINION:
Leftists live in a world that gives no thought to consequences. Allowing anyone who wants to come to the United States to settle here might produce the good vibes of compassion, but it can be a mistake that quickly turns deadly.
A citizen of India who unlawfully crossed the U.S. border in Mexico in 2018 was caught and released after pulling the old “feared for his life” trick to avoid being returned to his home country. California even issued the man, who doesn’t speak English, a commercial driver’s license.
These acts of kindness were repaid in blood last week as this trespasser made an illegal U-turn on the Florida Turnpike. In his careless haste, he allegedly struck a minivan, killing all on board. Sunshine State officials are charging him with vehicular manslaughter.
“The actions taken by the defendant while operating a commercial tractor-trailer are both shocking and criminal,” said Florida highway safety chief Dave Kerner. “Three people lost their lives as a result of his recklessness, and countless friends and family members will experience the pain of their loss forever.”
Tragedies such as this are inevitable when 19 states and the District of Columbia freely hand driver’s licenses to foreigners who don’t belong in this country. A regular driver’s license is one of the prerequisites for upgrading to the commercial permit that allows the holder to pilot 18-wheelers, taxis, buses and limos.
Illegal aliens aren’t supposed to be able to apply for CDLs, but thousands are getting them. In June, a Florida law enforcement sting busted a pair of Department of Motor Vehicles employees who were part of an extensive scheme that included selling licenses to outsiders with no legal right to be in the country, no driving test needed.
Selling CDLs to noncitizens is big business. Federal investigators have broken up similar licensing rings in California and New York involving multiple DMV offices.
Sanctuary states are also happy to exploit a loophole that allows the issuance of “non-domiciled” commercial licenses for people who enter the country on a short-term visa. The right to be in the country may be valid for only a few months, but the CDL might not expire for another five or 10 years.
Encouraging the flood of migrants to steal jobs from American citizens depresses wages and imperils everyone on the road. Foreign drivers who lack English proficiency might miss the significance of a “no U-turn” sign on a freeway or blow past warning notices about the weight and height limits for bridges.
The federal government ought to use weigh station inspections to confirm the eligibility of truck drivers and assure the public that noncitizens aren’t behind the wheel of 40-ton machines. The Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association on Monday urged Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy to “immediately suspend states’ authority to issue non-domiciled commercial driver’s licenses for interstate commerce” pending the results of a review of measures to verify that CDL holders meet all eligibility requirements.
Mr. Duffy was ahead of the curve and commissioned that audit in June. “Our investigators have already uncovered serious red flags in how states are doling out these CDLs,” he wrote on X over the weekend. In May, he began revoking commercial licenses held by drivers who couldn’t speak English. So far, 1,500 permits have been canceled.
Sanctuary states ought to be held liable for the damage their policies cause.
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