Florida officials announced a new immigration enforcement initiative that will use truck weigh stations in the state as U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) checkpoints.
The plan was outlined at a press conference on Monday, where state leaders said the effort is designed to identify immigration violations discovered during roadside agricultural and commercial inspections.
At the event, Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier referenced a recent fatal crash in southeast Florida in which three people were killed after a semi-truck driver allegedly made an illegal U-turn.
“Most people in Florida are now aware of the serious tragedy that happened down in southeast Florida,” Uthmeier said.
“Someone that never should have been given a driver’s license, much less a CDL license to drive larger commercial vehicles, engaged in reckless behavior that took three lives.”
Uthmeier added that there is “no telling how many illegal aliens are” in the United States “driving large commercial vehicles and putting American families in a safety risk every single day.”
Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS) Commissioner Wilton Simpson joined Uthmeier and other officials to describe how the program will operate.
According to Fox13 News, the initiative “targets checkpoints” run by FDACS. The state operates 23 agricultural inspection stations that have been deputized to assist with immigration enforcement.
While those stations’ primary role is to inspect vehicles for agricultural safety and food quality, Fox13 reported that in 2025 all Office of Agricultural Law Enforcement (OALE) officers were certified under the federal 287(g) program.
That certification allows trained state officers to assist with federal immigration enforcement if they encounter individuals violating federal law during the course of their duties.
The announcement comes as state agencies continue to coordinate with federal partners following the fatal crash.
Breitbart News reported that the Florida Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles Department issued an update on the investigation, stating:
“State Troopers obtained a criminal arrest warrant for the driver, Harjinder Singh, for three (3) counts of vehicular homicide.
During the course of this criminal investigation and with the assistance of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), State Troopers determined that Harjinder Singh entered the United States illegally, having crossed the Mexico border in 2018.
The Defendant then obtained a Commercial Driver’s License in the state of California.”
Officials said the weigh-station initiative is intended to add an additional layer of screening during inspections that are already required for many commercial vehicles entering the state and traveling on major corridors.
FDACS agricultural inspection stations are located on key routes near Florida’s borders and at strategic points along interstate highways.
Under the 287(g) framework described by the state, certified OALE officers will be able to check immigration status when other violations or indicators are present during an inspection.
Uthmeier also used the press conference to remind the public about Florida’s licensing rules.
He said illegal aliens “cannot obtain a driver’s license” in Florida and noted that if individuals received a license in sanctuary jurisdictions, those credentials are not recognized under state law.
Licenses issued by states such as California, Washington, or New Jersey, Uthmeier said, “those licenses are no good” in Florida.
Simpson and Uthmeier did not provide a timeline for when each weigh station will begin full participation under the program, but they said the certifications completed in 2025 enable FDACS officers to support ICE when encounters occur during routine inspections.
State officials said the approach leverages existing infrastructure without creating separate stand-alone checkpoints, and that the primary mission of the agricultural stations—protecting Florida’s agriculture and ensuring food safety—remains in place.
The case involving Harjinder Singh is proceeding alongside the policy rollout.
The criminal case includes three counts of vehicular homicide stemming from the alleged illegal U-turn that investigators say led to the deaths of three people.
State agencies said they coordinated with ICE to confirm the driver’s immigration history as part of the investigation.
The announcement cited the case as an example of the intersection of traffic enforcement, commercial safety rules, and federal immigration law.
Florida officials said they will continue to work with federal partners to implement the program and apply the 287(g) authorities within the scope of agricultural and commercial vehicle inspections.
The state’s agencies emphasized that the inspections will remain focused on safety and regulatory compliance, with immigration checks occurring when authorized under the federal certification and state law.
