three people died in an accident<\/a> involving a truck driven by an Indian man, Harjinder Singh. The state said Singh did not have legal status in the United States, and alleged he was wrongly issued licenses in California and Washington. The truck driver is also\u00a0facing criminal charges.<\/p>\nThe dissent draws attention to a broader debate about federalism and state accountability. Florida\u2019s lawsuit alleged that California and Washington issued commercial driver\u2019s licenses to applicants who failed English\u2011proficiency requirements, raising questions about how states comply with federal safety standards. Thomas and Alito\u2019s view that the Court must hear such cases could reshape how interstate disputes are handled in the future.<\/p>\n
Newsweek reached out to the Florida and Washington attorneys general\u2019s offices and California\u2019s Justice Department for comment via email.<\/p>\n
Supreme Court Tosses Florida Case<\/p>\n
A majority of Supreme Court justices ultimately declined to grant Florida leave to file its complaint. Florida had filed a bill of complaint, a mechanism states use to sue one another directly in the Supreme Court. Justices did not provide an explanation for declining to grant Florida leave in the case.<\/p>\n
The decision keeps California and Washington\u2019s licensing practices in place, but did not come without opposition on the bench. Thomas authored a dissenting opinion and was joined by Alito.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis Court declines to even hear Florida\u2019s claims, even though it has nowhere else to bring them. Because I would allow Florida to file its complaint, I respectfully dissent,\u201d Thomas wrote in his dissent, which came as part of an orders list released by the Supreme Court on Sunday.<\/p>\n
![\"Supreme](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/60f7a63b04139546cfd1725a996d7f83.jpeg\"\/)
<\/p>\n
Supreme Court Justices Samuel Alito (L) and Clarence Thomas at the U.S. Capitol on January 20, 2025.<\/p>\n
Thomas wrote that the court has \u201cexclusive jurisdiction\u201d in this case and that he doubts the court \u201chas discretion to refuse to hear cases within its exclusive original jurisdiction.\u201d<\/p>\n
He said the court, nonetheless, has adopted a \u201cdiscretionary approach to its exclusive original jurisdiction\u201d based on policy judgments. But even under that approach, he said he believes the court should have granted Florida leave because it meets standards of \u201cseriousness and dignity\u201d as well as \u201cavailability of an alternative forum in which the issue tendered can be resolved.\u201d<\/p>\n
Florida v. California and Washington: What To Know<\/p>\n
The crash involving Singh occurred on August 12, 2025, on the Florida Turnpike. While driving on the highway, he approached a sign prohibiting U-turns but allegedly attempted a U-turn across the median anyway, according to court filings. During the U-turn, his trailer hit a minivan. All three passengers in the minivan died. He was arrested on charges of vehicular homicide.<\/p>\n
Law enforcement learned he was unable to read signs and could not answer most questions on an English proficiency test administered by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. He failed his test in both California and Washington but was still able to obtain a commercial driver\u2019s license.<\/p>\n
Trump Administration Targets \u2018Dangerous Foreign Drivers\u2019<\/p>\n
In February, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy issued a rule aimed at preventing foreign drivers from obtaining licenses<\/a> to drive commercial trucks and buses. The department said at least 17 fatal crashes in 2025 were caused by \u201cnon-domiciled drivers who will now be ineligible to get a license.\u201d<\/p>\n\u201cFor far too long, America has allowed dangerous foreign drivers to abuse our truck licensing systems \u2013 wreaking havoc on our roadways. This safety loophole ends today,\u201d\u00a0Duffy said.<\/p>\n
He said that \u201cunqualified foreign drivers\u201d will no longer be able to obtain a license to operate 80,000-pound big rigs. Under the rule, foreign drivers who have not undergone consular and interagency screening will be unable to obtain a CDL.<\/p>\n
\u201cFrom enforcing English language standards to holding fraudulent carriers accountable, we will continue to attack this crisis on our roads head on,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Related Articles<\/p>\n
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