Punjab Industry Minister Sanjeev Arora on Sunday (Aug 24) urged Indian External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar to intervene after the US paused work visas for foreign truck drivers, following the death of three Florida residents due to an illegal U-turn taken by Indian truck driver Harjinder Singh.
After the incident, in a big step, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced that the US is suspending all foreign driver visas. Arora expressed concern over the impact of this decision on the approximately 1.5 lakh Punjabis working in the US trucking industry and stressed that the actions of one individual should not lead to collective punishment of an entire community. Arora highlighted the Punjabi community’s significant contribution to the US economy and requested the Ministry of External Affairs to engage with US authorities for clarification and resolution. He also said that there is a need for a fair and transparent visa policy.
“While we fully acknowledge the seriousness of this incident and the need for justice, the subsequent broad policy of pausing visas is causing immense distress among the estimated 1.50 lakh Punjabis working in the US trucking industry. It should be conveyed to the concerned officials that the actions of an individual must not lead to a policy that unjustly penalises an entire community,” Arora said. A balanced and transparent mechanism should be established to ensure fair opportunities for the eligible drivers from India,” he added.
Harjinder Singh and his ‘illegal’ entry
Harjinder Singh has been arrested in California and is lodged in a Florida jail. He is facing three counts of manslaughter and three counts of vehicular homicide, and under state law, each count of vehicular homicide can carry up to 15 years in prison. Florida officials claimed that Singh entered the US illegally from Mexico in 2018. Homeland Security later revealed he was granted a commercial driver’s license (CDL) in California and Washington. California Governor Gavin Newsom’s office claimed Singh obtained a work permit during Trump’s presidency, but Homeland Security spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin countered that, stating his permit was denied in September 2020 and only approved in June 2021, under President Biden.
Petition and counter-petition on Harjinder Singh
Harjinder Singh’s case has sparked an online petition demanding his release as well as a counter-petition demanding his deportation. His petition demanding his release attracted over 2 million signatures as the supporters argued that the tragic incident was an accident rather than an intentional act. Supporters insisted that Singh should be held accountable, but not subjected to what they see as excessively harsh charges. In the counter petition, people demanded that he should face the US justice system, while also calling for scrutiny of the immigration status of all foreign truck drivers. They also argued that those defending Singh’s actions pose a potential risk to public safety by promoting leniency for conduct that resulted in three deaths.