WASHINGTON: The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has named several Indian nationals, including Chamkaur Singh, Manvir Singh, Manjit Singh, Harjinder Singh, Rajinder Kumar, Partap Singh, Gunpreet Singh and Jasveer Singh, in a statement criticising California’s sanctuary policies and its handling of immigration enforcement.
According to the DHS statement, California authorities have released nearly 24,000 individuals described by the department as criminal undocumented immigrants from local and state jails since January 20, 2025, despite federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detainers. DHS claims that more than 81,000 criminal charges or convictions are associated with these cases. The figures and allegations were presented by the federal department as part of its criticism of California Governor Gavin Newsom’s administration.
Among the Indian nationals mentioned is Chamkaur Singh, for whom ICE reportedly lodged a detainer in September 2026 following his arrest in connection with a semi-truck crash in Ontario, California, that killed two people. DHS stated that Singh had obtained a Commercial Driver’s License (CDL) through the California Department of Motor Vehicles.
Another individual named is Manvir Singh. According to DHS, ICE lodged a detainer against him in May 2026 following his arrest in connection with a fatal semi-truck crash near Lodi, California, in which two people lost their lives.
The statement also mentions Partap Singh, an Indian national involved in a multi-vehicle collision in San Bernardino, California. DHS alleged that the incident involved reckless driving of an 18-wheel truck and resulted in serious injuries to a five-year-old girl, Dalilah Coleman, and several others.
In another case, Manjit Singh was named in connection with a fatal semi-truck crash in Brown County, Ohio. DHS stated that he was charged with aggravated vehicular homicide after the crash killed a woman. The department further claimed that he had previously received a commercial driving licence from California.
The DHS statement also identified Gunpreet Singh and Jasveer Singh, who were reportedly arrested in Indiana in January 2026 in connection with the alleged transportation of more than 300 pounds of cocaine in a semi-truck. According to the department, both men had obtained commercial driving licences through California’s DMV.
Other Indian nationals mentioned in the statement include Rajinder Kumar, who was arrested in connection with a fatal semi-truck crash in Oregon that killed a newly married couple, and Harjinder Singh, who was accused of making an illegal U-turn while driving an 18-wheeler in Florida, resulting in a crash that killed three people.
The federal department has used these cases to question California’s immigration and commercial driving licence policies. DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin accused the Newsom administration and other California officials of failing to cooperate adequately with federal immigration authorities. California’s sanctuary policies have become a major point of political disagreement between the Trump administration and state officials.
The controversy raises wider questions about commercial driver’s licence verification, road safety, immigration enforcement and cooperation between federal and state authorities. At the same time, individual criminal allegations, charges and convictions must be distinguished carefully, and each case must be judged on its own legal record.
The information in this report is based on a statement issued by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. The department’s claims have not been independently verified for this report, and the mention of individuals does not mean that every allegation has resulted in a conviction.
Editorial note: I have highlighted the Singh names in the headline and throughout the report. The story attributes the allegations to DHS rather than presenting all its claims as independently established facts.