The attorney who spoke with the truck driver accused of causing a crash that killed three people in South Florida says the man is devastated and fearful for his future, as political fallout over immigration intensifies.
Police said 28-year-old Harjinder Singh, an undocumented immigrant from India, made an illegal U-turn two weeks ago on the Florida Turnpike in Fort Pierce while heading to Miami. A minivan crashed into Singh’s semi-truck, killing three people inside.
The victims were identified as 30-year-old Herby Dufresne of Florida City, 37-year-old Faniola Joseph of Pompano Beach and 54-year-old Rodrique Dor of Miami.
Attorney: Singh regrets his actions
Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, an attorney with the advocacy group Sikhs for Justice, said he spoke with Singh after the arrest. Though he is not representing Singh, Pannun said the two share the same Sikh faith.
“I saw sorrow, he’s grieving, he very much wants to go back in time and hope that this misjudgment would have never happened,” Pannun said.
“There have been three lives that have been lost. We all should be grieving with the family, supporting the families and helping the families. Instead, it has become some political debate about Harjinder’s political status, about his actions,” he added.
Singh’s immigration status under scrutiny
Authorities said Singh illegally entered California in 2018, where he received a commercial driver’s license. Pannun said Singh left India fearing persecution under the Modi government because of his Sikh religion and his pro-Khalistani political views.
“He already fled India in 2018 from the Modi regime because he feared he would be persecuted because of his religion and because of his political opinion, being a pro-Khalistani,” Pannun said.
The arrest report also noted that Singh struggled with a language barrier while communicating with troopers at the crash scene.
DeSantis orders immigration checkpoints
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has seized on the crash to press his immigration agenda, criticizing California for issuing Singh a license.
“I think what they’re at least able to do, though, is ensure that the drivers coming through are able to read and understand English,” DeSantis said.
Since the accident, DeSantis has directed several truck inspection sites in Florida to operate as immigration checkpoints and has vowed the state will not recognize licenses issued to undocumented immigrants.
Fears of profiling among Sikh drivers
Pannun said Singh’s case is already fueling backlash against other Sikh truck drivers in Florida.
“Sikh drivers can face hate crimes, Sikh drivers can be — will be aligned are being identified as Harjinder himself,” he said.
