Ex-NYPD inspector says Trump admin can withhold funds from states that don’t make truckers speak English

Former New York Police Department (NYPD) inspector Paul Mauro said Wednesday that Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy is on solid legal ground to withhold funds from states that do not make sure people seeking a Commercial Driver’s License (CDL) can speak English.

Duffy warned on Tuesday that he would withhold federal funds from California, Washington and New Mexico if the blue states did not “adopt and enforce English Language Proficiency (ELP) requirements for commercial motor vehicle drivers” within 30 days, according to an announcement from the Department of Transportation (DOT). Mauro said on Fox News’ “America’s Newsroom” that funding from the Motor Carrier Safety Assistance Program is contingent on making drivers speak English to obtain a CDL.

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“Secretary Duffy’s on very firm ground here. The actual act is called the Motor Carrier Safety Assistance Program. It explicitly says under federal law, under the allotment — remember, Congress has the power of the purse,” Mauro said. “They’re the ones who allot the money that goes to the states. Congress explicitly put in this act that you’ve got to speak English for a CDL. Why? Because if you have a commercial license, you’re going interstate on these trucks.”

“And so as a result, you’re under federal jurisdiction. It’s right in there that if you’re not complying and speaking English — English proficiency is right in there — then we can withhold the money,” he continued. “I don’t see any recourse here for these states. If they want to continue to receive the federal money under this program, they’re going to have to comply.”

Duffy’s warning followed an ongoing federal investigation into an Aug. 12 fatal highway accident in Florida, which was allegedly caused by an illegal migrant truck driver who failed basic English and road signs tests. The driver, Harjinder Singh, an Indian national, is accused of killing three individuals after making an unlawful U-turn.

Singh allegedly made the turn through an “Official Use Only” access point in St. Lucie County, obstructing all lanes with his truck.

Florida State Troopers obtained a criminal arrest warrant for Singh on three counts of vehicular homicide, according to an Aug. 16 press release from the Florida Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles. Investigators determined Singh entered the U.S. unlawfully in 2018 through the U.S.-Mexico border and subsequently obtained a CDL in the sanctuary state of California.

During an ELP assessment administered by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), Singh only provided two correct answers on a 12-question verbal test, according to the Department of Transportation (DOT). Moreover, he could identify only one of four highway traffic signs.

President Donald Trump issued an April executive order mandating higher English standards for truck drivers. Duffy also signed an own order in May outlining new guidance to enforce English standards for truck drivers.

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