The violent crash in Florida, which killed three people, has become the latest flashpoint between the Donald Trump administration and California Governor Gavin Newsom.
A semi-truck driver, an illegal immigrant, attempted an illegal U-turn on the Florida turnpike, resulting in the trailer jackknifing and colliding with a minivan.
It turns out the Sikh man, identified as Harjinder Singh from India, was issued a commercial driver’s license by the California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV), despite his illegal status. The finding gave ammunition to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), which posted on X, “How many more innocent people have to die before Gavin Newsom stops playing games with the safety of the American public?”
Three innocent people were killed in Florida because Gavin Newsom’s California DMV issued an illegal alien a Commercial Driver’s License—this state of governance is asinine.
How many more innocent people have to die before Gavin Newsom stops playing games with the safety of the… https://t.co/QrEMOsDnIL
— Homeland Security (@DHSgov) August 18, 2025
DHS is working around the clock to protect the public and get these criminal illegal aliens out of America, it said.
However, Mr Newsom’s Press office claimed that when Mr Singh entered the US, Mr Trump was the president.
.@grok, who was President in 2018? pic.twitter.com/51mbnoaghX
— Governor Newsom Press Office (@GovPressOffice) August 17, 2025
Under California’s law, one gets a commercial driver’s license only when they have a lawful presence in the country, his office said.
Mr Singh allegedly crossed the California border illegally in September 2018 and was arrested by Border Patrol. He was then processed for fast-track deportation, but he “claimed fear of going back to India”, after which he was released on a $5,000 immigration bond in January 2019 after being given a Notice to Appear. The man has remained in immigration proceedings ever since.
“The illegal alien is an Indian national who was granted a commercial driver’s license by the so-called ‘sanctuary state’ of California, whose reckless policies put the lives of American citizens at risk every single day,” said the White House in a statement.
Attacking Mr Newsom, who has in past clashed with the US President, the White House said, “But instead of acknowledging the tragedy, criminal illegal alien sympathiser Gavin Newsom callously doubled down, claiming that giving driver’s licenses to illegals ‘improves public safety’.”
According to the Florida Highway Patrol, the semi-truck, which was towing a box trailer, was in the outer lane when it tried to do a U-turn into a section of the turnpike designated as “official use only.”
According to the agency, the minivan, in the inside lane, was “unable to avoid” the semi tractor-trailer as it crossed “over all northbound travel lanes” to make the U-turn on the access road. The minivan crashed into the trailer and became jammed beneath its left side.
Mr Singh was arrested by US Marshals in California on Saturday on a warrant for three counts of vehicular homicide, and he is now facing deportation.
Mr Trump and Mr Newsom have clashed on multiple issues in past, including immigration and economic strategies. They have feuded several times on public platforms as well.
