WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA — President Donald Trump used his State of the Union 2026 address to urge Congress to pass what he called the “Delilah Law,” a proposed federal measure that would prohibit any state from granting Commercial Driver’s Licences (CDLs) to undocumented immigrants.

During his 108-minute speech to a joint session of Congress, which was boycotted by 15 senators and 70 members of the House, Trump spotlighted roadway safety across all 50 states, emphasizing legal compliance, attentiveness, defensive driving techniques, and American border security as core public safety issues.

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The proposed legislation is named after Delilah Coleman, who was critically injured in a truck crash in June 2024 at the age of five. Delilah and her father, Marcus Coleman, attended the address as guests of the President.

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“Delilah Coleman was only 5 years old in June 2024 when an 18-wheel tractor-trailer plowed into her stopped car traveling at 60 miles an hour or more,” Trump said. “The driver was an illegal alien let in by Joe Biden and given a commercial driver’s license by open borders politicians in California.”

According to federal authorities, Partap Singh, a 20-year-old Indian national, was driving the 18-wheeler through a construction zone in California when he allegedly failed to stop, causing a crash that left Delilah critically injured. Authorities stated that Singh entered the United States through the southern border in October 2022 and was later released. Immigration and Customs Enforcement re-arrested Singh in August 2025. He was deported to India in September.

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Marcus Coleman said his family was told four separate times that his daughter would not survive. He has publicly supported legislative changes that would restrict CDLs to legal citizens who have completed background checks.

“When a vehicle accident happens,” Coleman said, “the truck doesn’t care if you’re a Republican or you’re a Democrat, or you’re 18 years old or 9 years old. It doesn’t matter what side of the field you’re playing on. It’s going to happen, has happened and is continuing to happen.”

Delilah reportedly spent weeks in a coma and underwent extensive medical treatment, including a craniectomy. She suffered multiple skull fractures, a broken femur, and traumatic brain injuries. She has since been diagnosed with diplegic cerebral palsy and global developmental delay, conditions that require ongoing therapy and long-term care. Trump stated during his address that doctors initially believed she would never walk, talk, or eat independently again, but said she is now in the first grade and learning to walk.

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Trump argued that language barriers pose safety risks on American roads.

“Many, if not most, illegal aliens do not speak English and cannot read even the most basic road signs as to direction, speed, danger or location,” he said. “That’s why tonight I’m calling on Congress to pass what we will call the Delilah Law, barring any state from granting commercial driver’s licenses to illegal aliens.”

The President said his administration, led on the issue by Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy and Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration Administrator Derek Barrs, is taking a firm approach.

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy defended the proposed changes, stating that dangerous foreign drivers have been able to exploit licensing systems. “Moving forward, unqualified foreign drivers will be unable to get a licence to operate an 80,000-pound big rig,” Duffy said, adding that enforcing English language standards and holding fraudulent carriers accountable would remain priorities.

Derek Barrs said complex documentation requirements and limited access to overseas driving records have created safety risks. “A critical safety gap allowed unqualified drivers with unknown driving histories to get behind the wheel of commercial vehicles,” Barrs said. “If we cannot verify your safe driving history, you cannot hold a CDL in this country.”

According to federal safety officials, 17 crashes and 30 deaths in 2025 involved drivers holding non-domiciled CDLs who would not qualify under the proposed regulatory changes.

In addition to the Coleman case, officials referenced a second fatal crash in Florida. In August 2025, Harjinder Singh, a 28-year-old undocumented immigrant from India, was arrested following a deadly incident on the Florida Turnpike near Fort Pierce. Authorities said Singh attempted an illegal U-turn through an “Official Use Only” access point. His semi-truck became stuck while blocking all lanes of traffic, and a minivan subsequently crashed into the trailer, killing three people. Singh, who allegedly entered the United States illegally in 2018, faces three counts of vehicular homicide and manslaughter. If convicted, he could face up to 45 years in prison.

The proposed Delilah Law would seek federal legislation preventing states from issuing CDLs to undocumented immigrants. While driver’s license eligibility is typically determined at the state level, Congress has authority to regulate commercial licensing standards tied to interstate commerce.

The White House has not yet released the full legislative text of the proposal. It remains unclear whether the measure would apply solely to commercial driver’s licences or could expand to other forms of licensing.

The proposal is part of Trump’s broader immigration agenda outlined during State of the Union 2026, which included renewed criticism of former President Joe Biden’s border policies and calls for stricter criminal justice enforcement against repeat offenders. Trump also called for reforms to ensure that “violent and dangerous repeat offenders are put behind bars, and importantly, stay there.”

Todd Spencer, president of the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association, responded in a statement emphasizing that safety is not political. “Ensuring that every individual operating an 80,000-pound commercial vehicle on America’s highways is properly vetted, trained, and held to consistent standards is essential to protecting our members and the motoring public,” Spencer said. He added that the association will continue supporting efforts at the United States Department of Transportation and in Congress to strengthen licensing standards and training requirements.

As of now, the Delilah Law has not been formally introduced in Congress. Lawmakers are expected to debate the proposal amid ongoing national discussions over immigration enforcement and state-level licensing policies.

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