Justice Clarence Thomas recently criticized California and Washington for allegedly undermining federal immigration and trucking safety standards. This criticism follows a Florida highway crash, which prompted Thomas to express his frustration with the Supreme Court’s refusal to hear a related case. Florida argued that the two states issued commercial driver’s licenses to undocumented immigrants in violation of federal standards requiring English proficiency and legal immigration status for drivers. These policies, Florida claimed, posed a public safety risk on U.S. roads.
Joining Thomas, Justice Samuel Alito emphasized that the Supreme Court has a constitutional duty to address disputes between states, as these cases can solely be brought before the high court. Thomas expressed concern that if the Court did not assert jurisdiction, the complaining state would lack a venue for relief. He highlighted the severity of Florida’s claims against Washington and California due to the potential danger of not adhering to federal commercial licensing laws.
Thomas referenced a fatal Florida highway accident involving truck driver Harjinder Singh, who, according to Thomas, “could not read the road signs.” Thomas argued that this example underscored Florida’s right to pursue its claims. Singh had obtained commercial driver’s licenses from both California and Washington states.
Thomas stated, “An illegal alien who cannot read English road signs cannot drive an 80,000-pound tractor-trailer.” He cited federal law and regulations prohibiting states from issuing commercial driver’s licenses unless applicants adequately pass a test, understand English, and have the appropriate immigration status.
The original lawsuit was filed directly with the Supreme Court under the original jurisdiction clause, granting the Court the sole authority to hear state disputes. Thomas reiterated that while the Court might exercise discretion in typical appeals, interstate lawsuits require exclusive jurisdiction as dictated by the Constitution.
Thomas accused the Supreme Court of constitutional shortfalls when declining to hear interstate disputes. This comment followed an incident where firefighters responded to a crash involving Singh’s truck in Florida, and Singh was previously cited for speeding in New Mexico.
Thomas remarked, “This Court has adopted a discretionary approach to its exclusive original jurisdiction based on policy judgments conflicting with Congress’s statutory intentions.” He argued that if Florida, California, and Washington were separate countries, international courts or governmental actions would likely resolve such disputes. “By entering the Union, States agree to instead have such disputes resolved by this Court,” he noted.
Elaine Mallon, a writer for Fox News Digital and Fox Business, covers national politics.
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