DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin Said the Operation Removed More Than 800 'Dangerous Truckers' From U.s.

The Trump administration detained 51 immigrants and sidelined hundreds of truck drivers in a three-day enforcement operation across four Midwestern states. Operation Highway Shield, conducted from July 28 to July 30 in Illinois, Indiana, Iowa and Ohio, resulted in the detention of 51 immigrants, including 21 drivers holding non-domiciled commercial driver's licenses issued by California and New York. Federal authorities also placed 766 drivers and vehicles out of service, arrested 86 operators on allegations including road rage and domestic violence, issued 36 violations for failing English-language proficiency tests and recovered nearly $1 million in stolen cargo.

The action comes as the administration tightens licensing standards for some noncitizen drivers and increases scrutiny of the trucking industry's immigrant workforce. A separate Florida phase of Operation Highway Shield conducted in March resulted in more than 3,300 inspections, with 176 drivers placed out of service, including 54 cited for English-language deficiencies, while 42 people were taken into federal immigration custody and 35 were arrested on criminal-related charges.