Supreme Court declines Florida’s lawsuit against California and Washington over commercial driver’s licenses
The Facts
- The Supreme Court rejected Florida’s bid to sue California and Washington over their issuance of commercial driver’s licenses.
- Florida alleged that California and Washington allowed people without legal immigration status to obtain commercial truck licenses; officials in those states disputed that allegation.
- The dispute was prompted by a 2025 crash in Florida that killed three people and involved truck driver Harjinder Singh.
- Multiple reports say Singh had held commercial driver’s licenses issued by Washington and California.
- The court did not explain its decision to reject Florida’s filing.
- Justices Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito indicated they would have allowed Florida to bring the case.
- Florida brought the dispute directly to the Supreme Court as a case between states, making the court’s refusal important because it leaves Florida without this requested forum for its challenge.
How left and right are reading this
- Both agree
- An unresolved cross-state dispute tied to a deadly crash remains untested in the forum Florida sought, with the court’s unexplained refusal leaving the underlying licensing allegations contested rather than adjudicated there.
- They split on
- Less a disagreement than a question of emphasis: the public-safety cost of leaving those licensing allegations unresolved, versus the court’s institutional restraint in refusing to let disputed claims alone compel a state-against-state case.
Analytical frames for this storyTap to explore
Context
Why was this case at the Supreme Court in the first place?
Florida tried to file the dispute directly at the Supreme Court because it was suing two other states, rather than appealing a lower-court ruling NBC News,PBS.org,Washington Examiner.
What event led Florida to bring the lawsuit?
The lawsuit followed a fatal Florida crash in 2025 in which three people died. Florida says the truck driver, Harjinder Singh, held commercial licenses from Washington and California, and the crash became the basis for its challenge to those states’ licensing practices 7 News Miami,NYT,CBS News.
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Wire services (7)
Independent coverage (43)
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The Daily SignalClarence Thomas Weighs in on Illegal Alien Driver's Licenses
MS NOWThomas and Alito dissent from refusal to let Florida sue Cal...
Washington TimesSupreme Court refuses Florida's complaint against states tha...
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The New York TimesSupreme Court Rejects Lawsuit Over Commercial Driver's Licen...
The Daily CallerJustice Thomas Baffled SCOTUS Won't Hear Case Against Blue S...
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YahooSupreme Court tosses Florida lawsuit on English requirement ...
Fox NewsThomas blasts SCOTUS for decision on Florida lawsuit over il...
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RedstateSCOTUS Tosses Out Florida's Lawsuit on Immigrant Commercial ...
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The ColumbianSupreme Court rejects Florida's bid to sue Western states ov...
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Internewscast JournalSupreme Court Blocks Florida's Legal Challenge on Immigrant ...
Washington TimesSupreme Court rejects Florida's bid to sue Western states ov...
The HillThomas, Alito say Supreme Court obligated to hear Florida's ...
tcpalmSupreme Court rejects Florida's lawsuit over undocumented tr...
NBC NewsSupreme Court tosses Florida lawsuit against states for driv...
USA TodaySupreme Court rejects Florida's lawsuit over undocumented tr...
YahooSupreme Court rejects Florida's lawsuit over undocumented tr...
NBC 6 South FloridaSupreme Court rejects Florida's bid to sue states over immig...
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BeritajaSupreme Court Tosses Florida Lawsuit Against States For Driv...
Commercial Carrier JournalSupreme Court Rejects Florida Lawsuit Over Undocumented CDLs
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