Justice Clarence Thomas Says High Court Wrongly Rejected Lawsuit Over Foreign Truck Driver Licenses

Justice Clarence Thomas is criticizing a majority Supreme Court decision to deny hearing a complaint Florida filed against Washington and California for providing commercial driver’s licenses to foreign drivers who cannot read English.The case stems from a fatal crash last year involving a tractor-trailer and minivan on the Florida Turnpike. Authorities say Harjinder Singh tried to make a U-turn in the median of the highway that was marked for “official use only.” As he swung his trailer across both lanes the driver of the minivan crashed into the truck, killing all three people inside.Florida investigators say Mr. Singh, an Indian who had crossed the Mexican border illegally, likely could not read the road signs. Mr. Singh had a valid commercial driver’s license from California and had previously received one from Washington state.The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration tested Mr. Singh’s English proficiency and found that he could not correctly answer most verbal questions and could only identify one out of four highway signs.The Trump administration highlighted the case as it launched a crackdown on truckers who don’t have an English language proficiency. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy signed an order on the enforcement of new language requirements for truckers as well as launched an audit of states that provide non-domiciled commercial driver’s licenses to non-citizens.Florida had asked the high court to intervene because it said state laws were preempted by federal law in regard to immigration status.California urged the justices to deny Florida’s motion, calling them “patently meritless.” Washington called the lawsuit a “political stunt.”The Supreme Court typically hears appeals of lower court decisions, but it sometimes takes on cases in which states sue each other, though those cases usually involve issues such as boundary disputes.The majority of the justices rejected hearing the Florida suit, without explanation, but Justice Thomas — joined by Justice Samuel Alito — wrote a dissent saying the court should hear the case because Florida has nowhere else to turn.“This Court has exclusive original jurisdiction over Florida’s suit because it involves one State suing other States,” Justice Thomas wrote. “Congress has made our original jurisdiction ‘exclusive’ in ‘all controversies between two or more States,’ meaning that no other court can hear this case.”“I doubt this Court has discretion to refuse to hear cases within its exclusive original jurisdiction,” Justice Thomas went on to write.Florida’s attorney general, James Uthmeier, did not comment on the court’s rejection of the case. Mr. Singh remains jailed in Florida as he awaits a state trial on vehicular homicide and manslaughter charges.

Justice Clarence Thomas Says High Court Wrongly Rejected Lawsuit Over Foreign Truck Driver Licenses

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