Patriot Brief
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Suspect identified: Federal officials say Yisong Huang, accused in a fatal Tennessee pileup, illegally entered the U.S. in 2023.
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License obtained: Authorities say Huang received a commercial driver’s license in New York after being released and granted work authorization.
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Charges filed: Huang was arrested and charged with vehicular manslaughter following the multi-vehicle crash.
Federal officials announced Wednesday that the suspect accused of causing a deadly multi-vehicle pileup in Tennessee last week was an illegal immigrant who obtained a commercial driver’s license in New York. Authorities say the suspect entered the U.S. illegally in 2023, was later released with work authorization, and went on to secure a CDL despite reported language barriers. The crash left one American dead and others injured, triggering renewed scrutiny of how sanctuary states issue commercial licenses. The case has fueled broader concerns from federal officials about public safety, immigration enforcement, and oversight of commercial driving credentials.
Yahoo reports:
Federal officials announced Wednesday that the suspect accused of causing a massive fatal pileup in Tennessee last week was an illegal immigrant who obtained a commercial driver’s license (CDL) in the “sanctuary state” of New York.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Department of Transportation (DOT) said the suspect, 54-year-old Yisong Huang, illegally entered the country from Mexico in 2023. Officials added that Huang, who reportedly could not speak English, was released under the Biden administration and provided work authorization papers.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, who has previously warned that illegal immigrants are obtaining commercial driver’s licenses (CDL), said this incident represents yet another example.
“It’s not just that Joe Biden let millions of migrants flood into our country illegally,” Duffy said in a statement Wednesday. “His administration doled out the documentation these unqualified foreign drivers needed to obtain trucking licenses and operate 40-ton missiles on the highway. The fact that this individual failed a basic English test also calls into question how he even got the license in the first place.”
Investigators reported that, on Dec. 9, Huang was driving an empty bus on a major highway when he became “distracted by a video on his phone.”
As investigators continue to review the circumstances surrounding the crash, the case is intensifying scrutiny of commercial licensing practices and immigration enforcement nationwide. Federal officials say further audits and policy responses are expected as agencies assess how the suspect was able to obtain a CDL and remain on the road.