California's Punjabi truckers say they're being harassed after deadly Florida wreck

['Staff Writer', 'Nilesh Christopher Is A Technology Reporter For The Los Angeles Times', 'Focusing On How Artificial Intelligence Empowers', 'Harms', 'Reshapes Communities. He Is Currently Supported The Tarbell Center For Ai Journalism.'] Los Angeles Times 2025-09-12 00:00:00

For the first time, though, the Punjabi Sikh truck driver is now reluctant to leave the state. Thousands of Punjabi Sikh truck drivers and operators who form the backbone of American commerce are feeling threatened due to increased scrutiny. “They prefer a local job.”Three of his Sikh truck drivers were arrested in recent weeks, Khang said. Just this week, five of his Punjabi drivers quit out of fear of being targeted. After the crash, Secretary of State Marco Rubio issued a freeze on foreign worker visas for commercial truck drivers.