US President Donald Trump has reportedly announced that ‘illegal alien truck drivers’ would be replaced with what he called American war veterans. The development comes nearly two weeks after a Pennsylvania State Police Trooper, Michael E Pahira Jr, was hit and killed by a commercial vehicle on July 1.
How move will impact Indians
The accused truck driver, 33-year-old Michael Bon, was later charged with multiple offenses, such as homicide by vehicle, aggravated assault by vehicle, involuntary manslaughter, and various traffic violations.
Following the accident, Trump on Wednesday said his administration will take ‘strict action’ against ‘illegal alien truck drivers’ who he said are ‘killing a lot of people’.
Also read: Trump accuses China of interference in 2020 elections, orders FBI probe: ‘Largest compromise’
“They can’t read signs. Many of them are on drugs, or alcohol and they shouldn’t be driving these things. They came in totally illegally. We don’t want them but they are driving all over American roadways,” Trump said.
“We are going to replace them with American veterans,” Trump said, according to a Reuters report, adding that any American who has driven a heavy truck for the military will be automatically eligible for a commercial drivers’ license.
The move is likely to impact the Indian immigrants in the US with nearly 130, to 150,000 truck drivers in the US coming directly from Punjab and Haryana, according to the North American Punjabi Truckers Association data cited by The Indian Express.
In February this year, Trump announced the ‘Dalilah Law’, which halted the issuance of commercial driver licenses to “illegal aliens.” The US President stated that no immigrant will be allowed to get a licenses to drive trucks and other cargo vehicles.
Also read: Gangster Nitish Kaushal arrested in US days after making it to FBI’s most wanted list
The law was based on the case of five-year-old Dalilah from Bakersfield who was injured after a multi-car pileup was caused by Partap Singh, an illegal immigrant from India. As per her father, the accident left the child nonverbal and relearning how to walk.
Singh, according to the Department of Homeland Security, caused a multicar pileup after driving at an unsafe speed not stopping for a traffic and construction zone June 20, 2024.
Last month, at least 30 Indians were arrested by US Border Patrol agents for living in the country illegally. The US Customs and Border Protection said the Indians were part of 52 people agents from Arizona’s Yuma Sector arrested from May 11-15.
“Thirty of the individuals were from India, while the remaining six were from Mexico, El Salvador, and Russia,” the release read. “All individuals were processed in accordance with federal law and will be deported,” US Customs and Border Protection.
The arrests were made under ‘Operation Checkmate’, which according to the US Customs deals with detection and arrest of commercial motor vehicle operators living illegally in the country.
“Operation Checkmate reflects our commitment to safeguarding communities and roads from unlawfully present drivers who pose significant risks to public safety,” said Acting Chief Patrol Agent of the U.S. Border Patrol’s Yuma Sector Dustin W Caudle.
Over the past few years, Indian truck drivers in the US have come under scanner, who have entered the US illegally and have been involved in dangerous and fatal highway crashes.
Also read: Delhi logs hottest July day in two years as humidity fuels discomfort
Thirty-two-year-old Rajinder Kumar was charged with criminally negligent homicide and reckless endangerment after William Micah Carter, 25, and Jennifer Lynn Lower, 24, were killed when their vehicle crashed into his semi-truck in Oregon.
In August 2025, ICE lodged an arrest detainer for Harjinder Singh following his arrest for three counts of vehicular homicide while driving a semi-truck in Florida.
Following the Florida crash, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced that the Trump administration will stop issuing US visas for truck drivers.
