The Supreme Court on Tuesday threw out a lawsuit in which Florida sought to sue California and Washington over commercial truck driver licenses allegedly issued to people who entered the country illegally. The court denied the state's appeal without issuing an opinion explaining its reasoning.
Florida filed the claim after a high-profile crash in the state last year involving a truck driven by Harjinder Singh, an Indian man who authorities say did not have legal immigration status. The accident left three people dead. Florida alleges Singh was wrongly issued licenses in both California and Washington and faces criminal charges over the incident. Rather than filing in a lower court, Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier, a Republican, filed the claim directly at the Supreme Court—an unusual procedural move since the court rarely intervenes in disputes between states.
What the Left Is Saying
Washington Attorney General Nicholas Brown, a Democrat, called the lawsuit a 'political stunt, not a real claim.' In a legal brief, Brown wrote that Uthmeier announced he was filing the case during an appearance on conservative Fox News host Sean Hannity's show. Lawyers for California and Washington argued there was no basis for the Supreme Court to take up the issue, noting that Florida had other legal avenues available if it believed federal regulations were being violated.
Progressive groups have argued that states like California and Washington are responding to economic realities by allowing immigrants—many of whom have lived in those communities for years—to obtain licenses. They say this improves road safety by bringing drivers into the formal licensing system where they must meet testing and insurance requirements, rather than driving unlicensed.
What the Right Is Saying
Conservative Justice Clarence Thomas wrote a separate opinion saying he would have heard the case, arguing that Florida had 'nowhere else to bring them' given the interstate nature of the dispute. He was joined by fellow conservative Justice Samuel Alito. Iowa and 16 other Republican-led states filed a brief backing Florida's position.
Florida's lawsuit alleged that Democratic-led states' policies resulted in drivers obtaining licenses without proper training or the ability to read road signs, endangering people in Florida and other states when those drivers cross state lines. Uthmeier has frequently pursued conservative causes since being appointed by Governor Ron DeSantis last year and is currently running for a full term as attorney general.
What the Numbers Show
The case drew national attention following a crash that killed three people in Florida. Singh faces criminal charges related to the incident. The Trump administration, which is implementing hardline immigration policies, threatened after the accident to cut off federal funds from California, Washington and New Mexico if they did not implement English language requirements for commercial drivers—though no such cuts have been announced as a result of Tuesday's ruling.
The Bottom Line
The Supreme Court's dismissal leaves Florida without a federal remedy through this particular avenue. The court's reluctance to hear the case signals skepticism about using original jurisdiction—the rarely used power that allows states to bring disputes directly to the justices—as a tool for challenging other states' licensing and immigration policies. Uthmeier may pursue other legal strategies, but Tuesday's decision marks a significant setback for Florida's effort to hold California and Washington accountable under this theory.