New York, 2 June

About 30 individuals from India, found to be living in the US illegally and working as commercial truck drivers, have been arrested as part of a federal operation and will soon be deported.

The US Customs and Border Protection said in a statement Monday that during the week of 11-15 May, Border Patrol agents from the Yuma Sector in Arizona arrested 52 individuals during ‘Operation Checkmate’ for being in the US illegally, including 36 who were found to be driving semi-trucks.

Out of the 36 illegal semi-truck drivers arrested, 30 were from India, while the remaining six were from Mexico, El Salvador, and Russia. They had commercial driver’s licenses from states such as California, New York, Washington and Virginia, while some did not possess any form of driver’s license.

Most possessed employment authorisation documents, which were obtained during the Joe Biden administration and were no longer valid. All individuals were processed in accordance with federal law and will be deported.

Operation Checkmate is aimed at enhancing public safety through the enforcement of immigration statutes to detect and arrest illegal persons operating commercial motor vehicles in the country.

“Operation Checkmate reflects our commitment to safeguarding communities and roads from unlawfully present drivers who pose significant risks to public safety,” Acting Chief Patrol Agent of the US Border Patrol’s Yuma Sector Dustin Caudle said. Federal agents are on patrol every day to "ensure we stop these individuals and prevent more deadly crashes from occurring on the road across the United States.”

Under the administration of President Donald Trump, the Department of Transportation issued an order to stop unqualified foreign drivers from obtaining licenses to drive commercial trucks and buses.

Over the past several months, there have been instances of Indian-origin truck drivers arrested and charged with causing fatal crashes while driving commercial vehicles in the US.