TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier has filed a lawsuit against California and Governor Gavin Newsom, alleging that the state’s “sanctuary policies” for commercial drivers contributed to a triple fatal crash on the Florida Turnpike in August 2025.

The lawsuit, announced October 15, accuses California of improperly issuing a commercial driver’s license (CDL) to Harjinder Singh, the truck driver involved in the August 12 crash. Authorities say Singh attempted an illegal U-turn in a semi-truck, leading to a collision with a minivan that killed all three occupants.

Uthmeier claims Singh should have been disqualified from holding a CDL due to his immigration status and lack of English proficiency, arguing that California’s licensing system “puts Floridians at risk.”

He said the state will “argue before the U.S. Supreme Court that Gavin Newsom’s sanctuary policies are leading to tragic, preventable deaths and increased taxpayer costs.”

According to CDLLife, Florida officials have recently intensified English proficiency checks for CDL drivers at agricultural checkpoints and weigh stations, aligning with a Trump-era executive order that requires stricter enforcement of federal English language standards for commercial drivers.

The lawsuit comes the same day the U.S. Department of Transportation announced it would withhold $40 million in funding from California for failing to comply with new English Language Proficiency (ELP) rules, according to CDLLife.