‘NATIONAL CRISIS’: Banks Says Illegal Truckers Repeatedly Put Public at Risk
Pedro Rodriguez /
Sen. Jim Banks joined “The Tony Kinnett Cast” on Tuesday night to discuss his legislation to save American lives by cracking down on illegal immigrants in the truck driving industry.
“This is a national crisis,” Banks, R-Ind., told The Daily Signal’s Tony Kinnett.
Banks’ legislation, known as “Dalilah’s Law,” would crack down on illegal immigrant truckers by limiting commercial driver’s licenses to citizens, lawful permanent residents, and certain visa holders, and would revoke all licenses currently issued to illegal aliens. English proficiency requirements would also be added.
President Donald Trump has also indicated that Congress needs to take action to end the proliferation of commercial driver’s licenses, or CDLs for short.
During his State of the Union address, Trump recognized Dalilah Coleman, a 7-year-old girl who was struck by an 18-wheeler when she was 5, after an illegal immigrant truck driver failed to stop at a construction zone in California, and called on Congress to ban illegal immigrants from commercial trucking.
“Many, if not most, illegal aliens do not speak English and cannot read even the most basic road signs as to direction, speed, danger, or location,” Trump said during his State of the Union address.
Banks said that tragedies such as Coleman’s are “happening way too often.”
“When you have Governor [Gavin] Newsom in California or blue states like California or New York, they hand out truck driving licenses or CDLs to illegals like candy, of course you’re going to see them behind the wheel of a semi and tragically killing people,” Banks continued.
“She will never be the same, she’s recovered physically but she will never be the same,” Banks said of Coleman. “I spent some time with her last week in my office. So, we’ve named the bill after her, but you can name this bill literally hundreds of other people.”
Since the Trump administration began, it has sought to crack down on states that issue commercial driving exams in English and CDLs to illegal immigrants.
Banks also condemned his Democrat colleagues for opposing this “commonsense” policy.
“The Democrats think it’s OK [to allow illegals to obtain CDLs],” he added. “It is long past time to do something about it.”
“Democrats talk all the time about how illegals come into America and take the jobs Americans do not want to do, and that is just not the case when it comes to truck driving,” Banks added. “Those jobs are being taken away from Americans by illegals and foreigners, and that’s another reason we need to crack down on this.”
Rep. Erin Houchin, R-Ind., is leading the Dalilah’s Law effort in the House.