The Latin American Report # 580

A recent anti-immigrant measure by the Trump administration, this time targeting those applying for visas as commercial truck drivers, has generated a state of alarm among those currently integrated into the program. Since the end of April, there had been worrying signs for them, following Trump's initiative to ensure that every truck driver had a "properly qualified and proficient" command of English. The White House's narrative is that

English is a non-negotiable safety requirement for professional drivers, as they should be able to read and understand traffic signs; communicate with traffic safety officers, border patrol, agricultural checkpoints, and cargo weight-limit station personnel; and provide and receive feedback and directions in English.

While this is an issue that I believe should be addressed and surely better managed, I think that the essence of the measure lies in the xenophobic approach of the current Republican administration, and not so much in the pursuit of greater safety for American highways. In that sense, it would be good to know if there are statistics on how many highway accidents can be directly linked to non-English-proficient drivers. Thus, it's not just about noting occasional cases, and suggesting, and no more than suggesting, that the spike in accidents is attached to the enactment of an Obama-era memorandum related to the issue. More concrete data is needed, and, ultimately, comprehensive analyses where experience and skills are perhaps the main variables.

In truth, it is also a question of "taking back" the industry for American truckers, who have lobbied extensively to introduce measures like the one adopted this week specifically by the chief of Foggy Bottom. “Effective immediately, we are pausing all issuance of worker visas for commercial truck drivers,” wrote Marco Rubio via X. “The increasing number of foreign drivers operating large tractor-trailer trucks on U.S. roads is endangering American lives and undercutting the livelihoods of American truckers.”

This step has much to do with a fatal accident involving a certainly reckless Indian driver in Florida, with an allegedly low level of English assessed after the event. “This crash was a preventable tragedy directly caused by reckless decisions and compounded by despicable failures. Non-enforcement and radical immigration policies have turned the trucking industry into a lawless frontier, resulting in unqualified foreign drivers improperly acquiring licenses to operate 40-ton vehicles,” said the Secretary of Transportation. "The government is being very unfair because many of us have been driving on American highways for years helping the country; we worked during the pandemic transporting goods and at that time we weren't taking anyone's job away from them," said in turn a Salvadoran immigrant to EFE on the matter.

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This is all for today´s report.