New Delhi: About 30 Indian nationals have been arrested in the United States for allegedly living in the country illegally and working as commercial truck
drivers. The arrests were made during a federal enforcement operation aimed at identifying individuals without legal status who were operating heavy vehicles on American roads.
According to a statement issued by the US Customs and Border Protection (CBP), Border Patrol agents from the Yuma Sector in Arizona carried out “Operation Checkmate” between May 11 and May 15. During the operation, authorities arrested 52 people who were found to be in the country unlawfully.
Among those detained were 36 individuals working as semi-truck drivers. The officials said 30 of them were from India while the remaining six were citizens of Mexico, El Salvador and Russia.
Commercial licences under scrutiny
Investigators found that several of the arrested drivers held commercial driving licences issued by states including California, New York, Washington and Virginia. However, some reportedly had no driving licence at all.
The authorities also stated that many of those arrested possessed employment authorisation documents that had been issued during the administration of former US President Joe Biden. Officials said those documents were no longer valid.
All individuals arrested during the operation have been processed under federal immigration laws and are expected to be deported.
Focus on road safety and immigration enforcement
The US authorities said Operation Checkmate was launched to improve public safety by identifying and removing individuals who are unlawfully present in the country and operating commercial vehicles.
Acting Chief Patrol Agent Dustin Caudle of the US Border Patrol’s Yuma Sector said the operation reflects the agency’s commitment to keeping roads safe and preventing serious accidents involving unqualified drivers.
The development comes as the administration ofPresident Donald Trump continues to tighten rules around commercial driving and immigration enforcement. In recent months, several Indian-origin truck drivers have also faced legal action in connection with fatal road accidents in the United States.
