One year ago this week, three Floridians lost their lives on Florida’s Turnpike near Fort Pierce due to the complete and utter recklessness of a foreign truck driver with an illegal CDL license. 

These Americans were simply driving down the highway, only a few miles from my home, when they crashed into a tractor trailer driven by a foreign national who was making an illegal U-turn on the interstate.

This should have never happened.

When we passed Dalilah’s Law earlier this year, I thought of the families and loved ones still in grief when I cast my vote.

Not only was the driver here illegally, but he had been denied work authorization, and scored 2 out of 12 on an English proficiency test—yet California still handed him a commercial driver's license (CDL). And before that, in Washington state, he failed his test 10 times in two months before finally receiving a license in 2023. 

This is unacceptable. 

We owe those three victims more than thoughts and prayers. I wrote about that day, what it took from our community, and how we need to focus on giving these licenses to those that will keep the roads safe—I hope you'll take a moment to read it.

Read the op-ed here.