Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem revealed the arrest of “223 illegal aliens on Indiana highways near the Illinois state line,” including 146 truck drivers. Among them were 46 semi-truck operators and 82 others driving box trucks, buses, or moving vans. Noem stated that the commercial driver’s licenses (CDLs) issued to these individuals originated from over a dozen states, with Illinois, California, and New York being the top contributors.
The arrests occurred during Operation Midway Blitz, a Trump administration initiative launched last month to address “criminal illegal aliens terrorizing Americans in sanctuary Illinois.” The operation targeted drivers deemed unsafe due to their lack of English proficiency and potential criminal histories. Indiana State Police Secretary Anthony Scott emphasized that 80,000-pound trucks operated by untrained individuals pose significant risks to public safety.
Recent crashes involving illegal immigrant truck drivers have intensified scrutiny. In Florida, Harjinder Singh, an undocumented driver from India, was accused of causing a fatal crash after failing his CDL test 10 times before obtaining a license in Washington state. A semi-truck driver in California also killed three people earlier this month.
Noem highlighted that over 3,000 arrests have been made under Operation Midway Blitz, with many individuals having criminal records. An undocumented Mexican man convicted of child cruelty and a Nicaraguan national arrested for driving under the influence and drug trafficking were among those detained. ICE Acting Director Todd Lyons stated the operation aims to “remove illegal alien threats to public safety” by targeting drivers operating in sanctuary states like Illinois.
Indiana Gov. Mike Braun praised the effort, noting that “every state is a border state” when addressing such issues. The Department of Transportation recently enforced English proficiency requirements for commercial drivers, reversing a 2014 policy that allowed non-English speakers to remain in service despite violating federal rules.