Trump's proposal to replace immigrant truckers with Army veterans may hit over 1.5 lakh Indian drivers
&imwidth=600&imheight=450&format=webp&quality=medium "Trump's proposal to replace immigrant truckers with Army veterans may hit over 1.5 lakh Indian drivers")
Photograph: (AFP)
Trump has proposed replacing immigrant truck drivers with US Army veterans as part of his latest immigration crackdown, a move that could affect more than 1.5 lakh Indian-origin drivers working in the United States.
After tightening US visa rules for H1B workers and international students, and launching large-scale Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids that have led to the detention and deportation of thousands of immigrants, US President Donald Trump has now turned his attention to the trucking industry. He said his administration is cracking down on unauthorised immigrant truck drivers and wants to replace them with American military veterans.
Trump blamed immigrant truck drivers for road accidents, claiming many of them are unable to read road signs and are under the influence of drugs. He alleged that they are "killing a lot of people."
However, there is no comprehensive study linking immigrant truck drivers specifically to a higher number of road accidents. Foreign nationals seeking to drive commercial trucks in the United States must have valid work authorisation and complete the same licensing process as any other American driver, including attending driving school and passing the required tests.
The President also announced that "any American who has driven a heavy truck for our military will automatically be eligible for a commercial driver's license." He, however, did not provide further details about how the proposal would be implemented.
Trump's remarks, made during a military investment summit in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, appeared to reflect a broader push by his administration to curb commercial driving opportunities for immigrants, including those who are legally residing in the country. According to The New York Times, around 200,000 immigrant drivers who were authorised to live and work in the United States lost their licences in March.
In April 2025, Trump signed an executive order directing the Transportation Department to enforce English language requirements for commercial drivers and review the licences of foreign citizens authorised to work in the United States.
Trending Stories
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
Indian-origin truck drivers could face a major impact
If Trump moves ahead with the proposal, it could affect more than 1.5 lakh Indian origin truck drivers working in the United States, potentially forcing many to switch professions or face deportation to India.
According to the North American Punjabi Truckers Association, around 1.3 lakh to 1.5 lakh truck drivers in the United States are from Punjab and Haryana. The community has already been affected by earlier policy changes, including mandatory English proficiency requirements and the recently enacted Dalilah Law, which halted the issuance of commercial driver's licences to immigrants, according to India Today.
