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. Of these, 46 were semi-truck operators, while the remaining 82 included box trucks, buses, and moving vans. Noem highlighted that the commercial driver’s licenses (CDLs) issued to these individuals originated from over a dozen states, with Illinois, California, and New York as the top three sources.
The arrests are part of Operation Midway Blitz, a Trump administration initiative launched last month to target “criminal illegal aliens terrorizing Americans in sanctuary Illinois.” The operation was named after Katie Abraham, who died in a drunk driving hit-and-run allegedly caused by Julio Cucul-Bol, an illegal immigrant from Guatemala. Noem emphasized that the effort aims to address public safety concerns, noting that 80,000-pound trucks operated by untrained individuals pose significant risks.
Recent incidents involving illegal immigrants have intensified scrutiny over CDL issuance. In Florida, Harjinder Singh, an undocumented Indian-born driver, was accused of causing a crash that killed three people after failing his CDL test 10 times before receiving a license in Washington state. Similarly, a semi-truck driver in California was involved in a fatal accident earlier this month.
Indiana Gov. Mike Braun stressed the importance of vigilance, stating that Indiana’s role as “the Crossroads of America” requires safeguarding against criminal activity on highways. ICE Acting Director Todd Lyons praised the operation, claiming it has removed “illegal alien threats to public safety,” including individuals with criminal records, fraudulent licenses, and drug-related offenses.
The Department of Transportation recently enforced English proficiency requirements for commercial drivers, a policy revived under President Donald Trump’s executive order. This follows decades of rules mandating that truck drivers speak English to communicate effectively with law enforcement and understand traffic regulations.