A deadly crash on Florida’s Turnpike that killed three people has spiraled into a high-stakes political fight between Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and California Gov. Gavin Newsom, with each side blaming the other over how the driver — a migrant who entered the U.S. illegally — was allowed behind the wheel of a commercial truck.

Authorities say 28-year-old Harjinder Singh of Stockton, California, attempted an illegal U-turn with his tractor-trailer near Fort Pierce on Aug. 12, causing a Chrysler Town & Country minivan to slam into the big rig. 

The vehicle became wedged underneath, killing the 30-year-old driver from Florida City, a 37-year-old woman from Pompano Beach, and a 54-year-old man from Miami. Two passengers died at the scene; the driver died later at a hospital. Both Singh and his passenger, a 25-year-old man from Yuba City, California, were unharmed.

News of Singh’s immigration status and licensing history prompted immediate condemnation from Noem and her staff. 

“3 innocent people were killed in Florida because Gavin Newsom’s California DMV issued an illegal alien a Commercial Driver’s License,” Noem posted on X. “This gut wrenching tragedy should have never happened.”

But Newsom’s press office quickly pointed out that the timeline undercut Noem’s claims, saying Singh entered the country and received federal work authorization during Trump’s first term. 

“Hey, genius: the federal government (TRUMP ADMIN) already confirmed that this guy meets federal and state immigration requirements — YOU issued him a work permit (EAD). As usual, the Trump Administration is either lying or clueless.”

The account even turned to Grok, X’s AI chatbot, asking who the president was in 2018. The answer: Donald Trump.

Noem’s spokeswoman, Tricia McLaughlin, went out of her way to politicize the issue.

“3 innocent people were killed in Florida because Gavin Newsom’s California DMV issued an illegal alien a Commercial Driver’s License—this state of governance is asinine. How many more innocent people have to die before @GavinNewsom stops playing games with the safety of the American public?”

The White House joined the chorus, with spokeswoman Abigail Jackson declaring: “Illegal aliens that have no legal right to be in our country certainly should not be granted commercial drivers licenses. Gavin Newscum’s pro-illegal alien policies have deadly consequences. Yet he continues to double down and put illegals over American citizens.”

The sudden pile-on from Trump’s camp comes as Newsom’s press office has taken to dishing out Trump-style jabs on social media, recently targeting the president over Republican redistricting in Texas. After Newsom trolled him, Trump has supposedly stopped posting in all caps.

Meanwhile, Singh remains in custody in California, where he was arrested on a Florida warrant. He faces up to 15 years in prison on each vehicular homicide charge. Immigration authorities have lodged a detainer to deport him after state proceedings conclude. His next court hearing is scheduled for Tuesday.

The crash and ensuing political feud have raised fresh questions about state licensing rules for undocumented immigrants, federal vetting of work permits, and oversight of commercial driver qualifications.

Dan Horvath, chief operating officer of the American Trucking Associations, said: “This is a horrific tragedy that should never have happened. Initial reports … only raise more questions about how and why he was able to obtain a commercial driver’s license in the first place—questions that the state of California must answer for.”

Conservative commentator Charlie Kirk went further, writing on X: “Deport him to CECOT for life. And then strip California of every federal dollar for as long as it takes. Rogue states must not be allowed to continue shielding, coddling, and licensing illegals.”

California DMV officials declined to discuss Singh’s license beyond confirming they were reviewing the matter.

Florida Highway Patrol called Singh’s actions “reckless” and “without regard for the safety of others,” noting he had attempted the maneuver at an “unauthorized location.” Singh was arrested by U.S. Marshals on three counts of vehicular homicide and faces deportation after the case concludes. “He will no longer be able to damage and destroy the lives of Floridians and visitors,” said Dave Kerner, executive director of the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (FLHSMV).

Immigration records show Singh illegally crossed the U.S.-Mexico border near San Ysidro, California, in September 2018, during Donald Trump’s presidency. He was arrested, processed for expedited removal, and later granted a “positive credible fear” finding by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, which allowed him to remain in the country while his asylum case was pending. An immigration judge later set bond at $5,000, which was posted in January 2019.

By December 2019, Singh had obtained a California commercial driver’s license. California law, under Assembly Bill 60 (enacted in 2015), permits undocumented residents to obtain state driver’s licenses if they can prove identity and residency. These licenses, however, are marked “not for federal identification.” His ability to secure work authorization derived from a federal Employment Authorization Document (EAD), a permit issued by USCIS.

“This recent news is a devastating tragedy made even worse by the fact that it was totally preventable,” Jackson, the White House spokeswoman, said. “Illegal aliens that have no legal right to be in our country certainly should not be granted commercial drivers licenses.”