Florida officials are launching 23 new checkpoints across the state to step up inspections of commercial trucks. This move comes after a deadly crash on August 12, 2025, on the Florida Turnpike, which led to three deaths and raised questions about licensing and immigration rules for truck drivers.
What's changing: The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS) will have agents stationed at these interdiction stops. They’ll check commercial drivers for proper paperwork, English skills, and for any signs of illegal immigration.
- These checkpoints are separate from regular FDOT weigh stations.
- FDACS officers have been certified under the 287(g) program, giving them federal immigration enforcement powers under ICE’s guidance.
- The checks are meant to catch human smuggling, fake documents, and unsafe vehicles.
Why now? The changes follow criticism after the August 12 crash, which officials blame on a trucker with an out-of-state CDL and failed English test. Florida leaders say states like California and Washington hand out licenses to people who shouldn't be driving big rigs, calling it a risk to public safety.
Florida’s Attorney General announced he’s also pushing for the federal government to pull CDL authority from those states.
The 287(g) program: This federal partnership allows local officers to do some of the work of ICE agents, like detaining and processing criminal aliens. More about the 287(g) program can be found at ICE.gov.
Checkpoints are now going up at 23 Florida roadways, and every FDACS officer involved is trained and certified to help with these new enforcement actions.