A three-day operation by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Oklahoma Highway Patrol (OHP) nabbed 120 illegal aliens – three of four of whom have commercial driver’s licenses (CDLs) issued by U.S. states that grant CDLs regardless of immigration status.
The issue of illegal alien CDLs made national news in August, when Harjinder Singh attempted to make an illegal U-turn, causing a deadly wreck that killed three people in Florida. Singh has been charged with vehicular homicide.
In the ICE-OHP operation, which concluded September 25, the CDL of one illegal alien taken into custody had “No Name Given Anmol” listed as his identity on his license.
Three-fourths (75.8%) of the 120 illegal aliens arrested in the operation have commercial driver’s licenses.
Of those 91 illegal aliens with CDLs, nearly two-thirds (63.8%) were issued their commercial driver’s licenses by either California or New York - both so-called “sanctuary states”:
- 48.4% issued CDLs by California (44) – Sanctuary state.
- 15.4% issued by New York (14) – Sanctuary state.
- 13.2% issued by Pennsylvania (12) – Philadelphia Sanctuary city.
- 12.1% issued by Illinois (11).
- 3.3% issued by New Jersey (3).
While the state of Pennsylvania is not designated an illegal alien sanctuary by the U.S. Justice Department (DOJ), its largest city (Philadelphia) is. Likewise, New Jersey is not on the sanctuary list, but four of its cities are. Pennsylvania and New Jersey are recognized as sanctuary states by the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR).
Both Singh (California) and “No Name” Anmol (New York) are illegal aliens from India who were granted commercial driver’s licenses by sanctuary states.
By citizenship, the highest number of illegal aliens with CDLs detained during the ICE-OHP operation in Oklahoma were from India (39, 42.9%) – three times the number who were citizens of Uzbekistan (13) and China (12).
Of the 27 illegal aliens arrested from passenger vehicles during routine traffic stops, 23 entered the U.S. between 2020-2024. Nine had previously been deported, six of whom had been removed from the U.S. at least twice before.
ICE Deputy Director Madison Sheahan credits the success of the operation to Oklahoma’s participation in a federal-state partnership program:
“ICE’s 287(g) program clearly demonstrates how federal and local law enforcement agencies can work together to make America safe again.
“Illegal aliens have no business operating 18 wheelers on America’s highways. Our roads are now safer with these illegal aliens no longer behind the wheel.
“We encourage more state and local law enforcement to sign 287(g) agreements to help remove public safety threats and receive reimbursement funds available to our law enforcement partners.”
Under ICE’s 287g Task Force Model, local law enforcement officers who encounter suspected illegal aliens during their daily activities receive delegated authority to question and arrest those violating immigration law.
