Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has now reportedly dispatched his newly appointed lieutenant governor, Jay Collins, to California to apprehend Harjinder Singh, an illegal immigrant from India accused of causing a fatal accident on Florida’s Turnpike that left three people dead.
“I have dispatched my new lieutenant governor, Jay Collins, to California to apprehend Harjinder Singh,” Mr. DeSantis told Fox News Digital on Wednesday. “Fleeing to a sanctuary state will not prevent him from facing justice in Florida, and we will make sure of that. He will be held accountable for his criminal actions.”
Authorities say Singh made an illegal U-turn in his tractor-trailer near Port St. Lucie, blocking all northbound lanes between the Yeehaw Junction and Fort Pierce exits.
A minivan slammed into the trailer and became wedged underneath, killing all three passengers inside. Investigators allege Singh had used a narrow median crossover marked only for emergency vehicles in attempting the maneuver.
After the crash, Singh fled to California, a self-declared sanctuary state where he had obtained his commercial driver’s license. The move drew sharp criticism from Florida officials, who accused California’s permissive approach to immigration enforcement of providing refuge for dangerous offenders.
Collins, a wounded veteran and former state senator from Tampa, was appointed lieutenant governor just last week following Jeanette Nuñez’s departure.
Mr. DeSantis once described Collins as “the Chuck Norris of Florida politics” for his tenacity and willingness to intervene in difficult circumstances, citing his earlier work in assisting Jewish Americans stranded in Israel after the Hamas terror attack of Oct. 7, 2023.
“Florida lost three innocent lives at the hands of an illegal immigrant who never should have been in this country to begin with,” Collins said in exclusive comments. “I believe in a government that doesn’t look the other way but takes the time to enforce the law and hold criminals fully accountable: That’s why I’m en route to California right now to ensure this individual is extradited back to Florida.”
Representative Brian Mast, Republican of Florida, said Singh appeared to believe he would be safer in California because of its sanctuary state policies.
By contrast, Florida officials have attempted to enforce laws designed to keep illegal immigrants out of the state, though those efforts are currently under judicial review.
In Miami, Judge Kathleen Williams, an Obama appointee, ordered Florida to suspend enforcement of one such law.
When some local authorities reportedly continued using it, she directed Attorney General James Uthmeier to begin filing regular reports on cases tied to illegal immigration, according to the Associated Press.
Singh initially attempted to obtain work authorization after entering the United States illegally in 2020, but the Trump administration denied his request. His case has renewed calls for stricter oversight of the transportation industry.
“The transportation sector and CDL training centers must be more vigilant in checking on who is driving commercial vehicles on America’s highways and tollways,” Mr. Mast said Wednesday.
DeSantis is expected to comment further on Singh’s return during a press conference later in the day.
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