Supreme Court tosses lawsuit over drivers’ licenses issued to undocumented immigrants

WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court on Tuesday threw out a long-shot lawsuit in which Florida sought to sue the states of California and Washington for allegedly allowing people who entered the country illegally to obtain commercial truck driver licenses.

Florida’s claim was filed in the aftermath of a high-profile crash in Florida last year in which a truck driven by an Indian man, Harjinder Singh, was involved in an accident that left three people dead. The state, which says Singh did not have legal status in the United States, alleges he was wrongly issued licenses in both California and Washington. Singh faces criminal charges over the incident.

The court denied the state’s appeal without comment.

Conservative Justice Clarence Thomas wrote a separate opinion saying he would have heard the case. He was joined by fellow conservative Justice Samuel Alito.

“This court declines to even hear Florida’s claims, even though it has nowhere else to bring them,” Thomas wrote.

The unusual case saw Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier, a Republican, file a claim directly at the Supreme Court instead of a lower state or federal court. The court can sometimes intervene in such disputes between states, but it rarely does so.

Harjinder Singh is arraigned in Stockton, Calif., on Aug. 19.Clifford Oto / The Stockton Record via AP file

The lawsuit alleged that the Democratic-led states’ “open defiance” of federal immigration laws has led them to flout federal safety regulations. This has resulted in drivers obtaining licenses without “proper training or the ability to read road signs.” Those drivers cross state lines and are therefore threatening the safety of people in Florida and other states, the lawsuit says. Iowa and 16 other states filed a brief backing Florida.

Lawyers for California and Washington argued in response that there was no basis for the Supreme Court to take up the issue.

Washington Attorney General Nicholas Brown wrote in his brief that the lawsuit was a “political stunt, not a real claim,” noting that Uthmeier announced he was filing it during an appearance on conservative Fox News host Sean Hannity’s show.

Uthmeier, who is currently running for a full term after being appointed by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis last year, has frequently leaned in on divisive conservative causes.

The Florida crash sparked a new political fight over illegal immigration as the Trump administration implements a hardline immigration policy. In the aftermath of the incident, the administration threatened to cut off federal funds from California, Washington and New Mexico if they did not implement English language requirements for commercial drivers.

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