ICE arrests Indian truck driver

ICE's Enforcement and Removal Operations officer in Philadelphia detained Simranpal Singh, an Indian citizen, during a routine inspection of commercial trucks at a weigh station in Newberry, Pennsylvania. The arrest follows a DHS statement that Singh presented a New York CDL and was identified as unlawfully present in the United States.

Singh was taken into custody on September 4, 2024. He entered the U.S. through Arizona in June 2022, was initially apprehended by Border Patrol, and later released under the Biden administration. A federal warrant from the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania alleges wire fraud and conspiracy to commit wire fraud, prompting ICE to hold him pending transfer to the U.S. Marshals Service.

The case is part of a series of recent ICE actions involving Indian nationals who obtained New York‑issued commercial licences, including arrests in Indiana and Oklahoma earlier this year. Officials highlighted concerns about state‑level immigration policies, with DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin criticizing New York’s approach. The incident underscores ongoing tensions between federal immigration enforcement and state policies, and it may affect future scrutiny of foreign‑issued driver licences.