The Trump administration has announced an immediate halt to the issuance of worker visas for foreign commercial truck drivers, citing public safety risks and economic concerns for American drivers.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio made the announcement Thursday on social platform X, stating that the growing presence of foreign truckers on U.S. roads is endangering lives and threatening American jobs.
“Effective immediately, we are pausing all issuance of worker visas for commercial truck drivers,” Rubio said. “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.”
The decision comes in the wake of a deadly crash in Florida involving truck driver Harjinder Singh, who was charged with three counts of vehicular homicide. Authorities say Singh made an illegal U-turn roughly 50 miles north of West Palm Beach, resulting in multiple fatalities. The Department of Homeland Security has confirmed that Singh was in the U.S. illegally.
Following the incident, Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy said the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has launched an investigation into the crash.
In a related move, President Trump signed an executive order in April mandating that all commercial truck drivers operating in the U.S. must be proficient in English. This follows a March executive order designating English as the country’s official language.
“They should be able to read and understand traffic signs, communicate with traffic safety, border patrol, agricultural checkpoints, and cargo weight-limit station officers,” the White House stated in April. “Drivers need to provide feedback to their employers and customers and receive related directions in English.”
Foreign truckers in the U.S. typically work under H-2B visas.
Additionally, the State Department confirmed Thursday that it is reviewing the visa records of more than 55 million holders for potential violations, including criminal behavior, overstays, and links to terrorism.
Last week, the department also announced a temporary suspension of all visas for individuals from the Gaza Strip, pending a review of recent humanitarian visa approvals.