Tallahassee, flla. (AP) -Floride Republican Governor Ron Destant sent his chief deputy to California to supervise a truck driver accused of illegal turn that killed three people last week in Florida.
Sending the new Florida Lieutenant Jay Collins emphasizes the Republican impetus to fight illegal immigration. It also revives the political competition between the Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom, who is seeking higher offices.
The US Homeland Security Department said Monday that truck driver Harjinder Singh, born in India, was illegally in the country.
“Three lives lost due to Gavin Newsom. For an unsuccessful California policy, “Collins said at a press conference near Stockton Airport, California on Thursday.
“We ended up with that,” Collins added, using an example.
Newsom spokesman for Newsom described Collins’ trip to California as Photo OPs and criticized Florida officials for allowing a “suspect murder to walk”.
Collins did not delve into why Singh was able to fly to California after August 12th. In the Florida stretch of the accident. US Marshals arrested him on Saturday in Stockton.
Collins personally escorted Singh to the plane on Thursday, holding the man’s hand, walking up the aircraft steps. Singh was accompanied by four more people, including a man in the jacket that read the police ERO, a link to execution and removal operations, the US Immigration and Customs Division.
According to the Florida Highway Patrol, Singh made an illegal turning point in about 50 miles (80 kilometers) north of West Palm Beach. The micro -player in the neighboring band was unable to avoid a truck trailer and stumbled upon it by killing a minibus driver and two passengers.
Singh and his truck passenger were not injured.
Florida authorities said Singh had been illegally in the US from Mexico in 2018. According to the safety of the homeland, Singh received a commercial driver’s license in California, one of 19 states, in addition to Colombian County, it issues licenses regardless of immigration status under the National Immigration Law Center.
Collins said Thursday that Singh should never have been issued a driver’s license, calling a step “unacceptable”. Collins said Singh was missing the main English skills and did not know road signs.
The Newsom Press Service responded to the X platform that Singh had received a work permit while Donald Trump was president. DHS spokeswoman tricia McLaughlin challenged, saying that the Federal Government had denied him with permission during the first term of Trump in 2020. September And gave him one 2021. June, under the leadership of President Joe Biden.
The preliminary investigation of the US Department of Transportation found that Washington was in 2023. In July Posted Singh’s usual full-time commercial driver’s license-a true type of license that people who do not have legal status are not eligible, says DOT.
California then issued a limited commercial license after a year. Federal vehicles’ safety officers investigate whether the issuance of this license complied with the Government Rules.
Singh is accused of three public murders and immigration violations. The Federal Government asked for it to be transferred to ICE’s care after his criminal case was closed.
The public defense counsel appointed to Singh’s case did not respond to the request to comment.
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Kate Payne is a member of the Associated Press/Report America Statehouse News initiative. The America report is a non -profit national service program, where journalists in local news halls report secret questions.