A tragic collision on a Southern California freeway has led to the arrest of 21-year-old Jashanpreet Singh, originally from India. President Donald Trump's administration and federal law enforcement agencies are closely monitoring the situation following the incident that resulted in three fatalities on Interstate 10 in San Bernardino County. Singh faces charges of gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated.
Singh was reportedly released into the United States with instructions to appear at a future immigration hearing, after being encountered by Border Patrol agents in March 2022 at California’s El Centro Sector. This release was part of an "alternatives to detention" policy implemented by the previous administration in 2022, which allowed certain individuals at the border to remain in the country while awaiting their immigration proceedings.
The fatal crash occurred when Singh’s semi-truck collided with slow-moving traffic. Dashcam footage showed that Singh failed to apply brakes before the impact. Toxicology results confirmed that Singh was impaired during the collision. In response, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials placed an immigration detainer on Singh, as he does not possess lawful immigration status in the United States, according to Department of Homeland Security (DHS) sources.
This incident is not isolated, as news organizations have documented several cases where individuals released pending immigration hearings have been involved in criminal activities. In another recent event, Harjinder Singh, also an unauthorized border crosser, was accused of causing a fatal collision in Florida.
The matter has prompted responses from transportation authorities. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy emphasized the importance of English language requirements for commercial vehicle operators and criticized California for not enforcing these standards. His statement came during a week when the current administration announced the withholding of over $40 million in federal highway safety funding from California due to non-compliance with federal regulations.
The events have spurred a broader discussion about border policies, public safety, and licensing procedures for commercial vehicle drivers in the United States.
