By The Fresnoo Bee | United States |
Central San Joaquin Valley’s Punjabi Sikh trucking community is reporting increased threats and other safety concerns since a deadly Florida crash became a central talking point in a charged national debate around immigration.
Some of that attention has come from The Trump administration as it spars with California Gov. Gavin Newsom over immigration policy.
In response to the crash, Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced on Aug. 21 an immediate freeze on foreign worker visas for commercial truck drivers.
Truck driver Harjinder Singh, 28, was arrested in Stockton on Aug. 16, suspected of causing an Aug. 12 crash that killed three people in a minivan in Florida. Dashcam footage from his truck captured what appeared to be an illegal U-turn at St. Lucie County turnpike as well as the impact, images that have since circulated widely online.
Harjinder Singh, who worked for White Hawk Carriers based in the Stanislaus County city of Ceres, was pictured in national news in a turban, a common headdress for Sikh men, who as a group make up a large percentage of truck drivers across California.
“We’re really concerned about the safety of our drivers,” said Jasdeep Pannu, CEO of Fresno-based interstate general freight carrier Orbital Express Inc. “There’s fear in the community about the misinformation, about being targeted because you wear a turban.”
Since the accident, drivers are being targeted at truck stops in states such as Oklahoma and Arkansas, according to Raman Dhillon, founder and CEO of the North American Punjabi Trucking Association. “People are throwing water bottles, eggs at their trucks,” he said.
In one instance, Dhillon said a driver called 9-11 for help during an altercation at a truck stop, and instead of the police taking down a report, they ordered the Sikh driver to leave, Dhillon said.
NewLine Transport president Gurjant Singh talks about how new policies in Florida and ICE is affecting the Central Valley trucking industry in the wake of a Florida tragedy.
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