Florida is taking the fight straight to the top.
Attorney General James Uthmeier announced late Wednesday night that Florida has filed a landmark lawsuit against California in the U.S. Supreme Court, arguing that Governor Gavin Newsom’s “sanctuary” state policies are putting American lives at risk and violating the Constitution.
“Tonight, we filed a lawsuit against Gavin Newsom and California in the U.S. Supreme Court because their so-called ‘sanctuary’ policies for illegal aliens are harming states like Florida,” Uthmeier announced.
“California must pay for the carnage of their open border policies and unlawful CDL programs.”
The lawsuit comes after a deadly crash in Florida involving an illegal immigrant from India, identified as Harjinder Singh, who had obtained a commercial driver’s license (CDL) from California and later Washington State despite being unable to read road signs or speak English.
The crash killed three Haitian nationals living legally in the U.S. under temporary protected status.
It was revealed that Singh received a work permit from the Biden regime in June 2021 after the Trump administration denied him one in September 2020.
While he illegally crossed in 2018, it was Biden who gave him permission to live and work in the United States, and it was California that illegally granted him a driver’s license.
As Fox News’ Sean Hannity reminded viewers Wednesday night, the illegal driver “was only behind the wheel because California gives out regular driver’s licenses even commercial ones to illegals.”
Once an illegal immigrant secures a standard license, upgrading to a CDL becomes easy, despite federal law requiring English proficiency and road safety knowledge.
In the wake of the tragedy, the Department of Transportation, under Sean Duffy, announced it will withhold $40 million in federal grant money from California for failing to enforce English language requirements for truck drivers.
Uthmeier joined Hannity to explain the constitutional basis of the lawsuit:
Sean Hannity:
Here are the details: Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier is with us.In California, they have something — it’s the weirdest thing — it’s called the California Values Act. They passed it, and it bans agencies, even licensing agencies, from asking one’s immigration status.
Okay, we discovered after this that the guy didn’t speak English, couldn’t read road signs. That means those lives could have been saved, doesn’t it?
Attorney General James Uthmeier :
It’s a shame. That’s why we’re taking Gavin Newsom to the Supreme Court. Tonight, just moments ago, we filed a lawsuit against California on behalf of Florida to hold them accountable for the carnage that their sanctuary illegal immigration policies have caused to states like Florida across the country.Here in Florida, we can do everything right — we can back the blue, we can enforce the law, we can combat illegal immigration — but we still suffer when Gavin Newsom and liberals on the West Coast allow these illegals in. They encourage them, enable them to get these driver’s licenses, and then they cross the country and ultimately take lives.
Drug cartels cross the country — and they take lives. So they need to pay for it. We’re going to hold them accountable.
Sean Hannity:
I’ve been asking this question of everybody over and over again on this show: if you are a sanctuary city or state, by definition, are you not aiding and abetting in law-breaking? I mean, how are they not culpable if you’re giving taxpayer benefits to people that don’t belong in this country — people who didn’t respect our laws, our borders, our sovereignty?Attorney General James Uthmeier:
They are culpable. They care more about their love affair with the illegals than protecting American citizens — American victims who suffer every day from the harms that the open border has caused to the rest of the country.That’s why we’re bringing this lawsuit. We’ve seen across the country these soft-on-crime policies — they don’t work. Brutal stabbings where people have been released 14 prior times. In Florida, that doesn’t fly. We’re tough on crime. We hold people accountable. We enforce the law. We want people behind bars for as long as possible.
Sean Hannity :
Let me ask you the last question — would this then open up these states and elected officials to liability themselves if, in fact, they allow, aid, and abet illegal immigrants and then terrible things happen?Attorney General James Uthmeier:
Yes, I believe so. They are knowingly aware of the dangers that their policies cause. They know that by giving people these trucker licenses — people who don’t speak English — they’re putting families on the road in jeopardy. Lives are lost. They know about it, and they need to be held responsible.Sean Hannity :
I really believe that this case is important. I hope the Supreme Court takes it up, and I think if they do, your odds of winning are strong.
WATCH:
Tonight, we filed a lawsuit against Gavin Newsom and California in the US Supreme Court because their so-called “sanctuary” policies for illegal aliens are harming states like Florida.
California must pay for the carnage of their open border policies and unlawful CDL programs. pic.twitter.com/iEauMlWXkY
— Attorney General James Uthmeier (@AGJamesUthmeier) October 16, 2025