Donald Trump signs order requiring truck drivers in US to speak English; Sikh groups warn of discriminatory impact

President Donald Trump signed an govt order just lately requiring all industrial truck drivers in the United States to be proficient in English, for causes of public security and nationwide safety.
The motion has elicited intense responses from Sikh advocacy communities, which warn that it’s going to have a disproportionate impact on Sikh-American drivers and current a barrier to employment.
Titled “Executive Order Enforcing Commonsense Rules of the Road for America’s Truck Drivers”, the order reaffirms English because the nation’s “official national language” and directs federal businesses to implement long-standing language guidelines which have seen lax implementation in current years.
“Proficiency in English should be a non-negotiable safety requirement for professional drivers,” the order states. Trump argued that industrial drivers have to be in a position to learn visitors signs, reply to regulation enforcement, and talk with employers. “My administration will enforce the law to protect the safety of American truckers, drivers, passengers, and others,” Trump stated.
The order mandates Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy to revoke Obama-era steering in 2016 that barred inspectors from penalizing drivers for English language infractions.
Duffy termed the sooner coverage “dangerous” and added that his company would begin imposing English proficiency necessities instantly. “This commonsense standard should have never been abandoned,” he added.
The Sikh Coalition, nonetheless, stated it’s “deeply concerned” in regards to the impact of the order, notably on the estimated 150,000 Sikhs in the US trucking trade, 90% of whom are drivers.
“Our community has played a vital role in meeting the high demand for drivers,” the group stated, citing The Economist’s estimate that greater than 30,000 Sikh drivers joined the trade between 2016 and 2018. “This executive order could have a discriminatory impact and create unnecessary barriers for qualified individuals.”
While federal rules have lengthy included English language necessities, advocates argue the sudden push to implement them could lead on to profiling or unjust disqualifications. The Sikh Coalition stated it’s at the moment reviewing the authorized implications of the order.
The Department of Transportation claims failure to implement the usual has contributed to deadly accidents in the previous, however civil rights groups are anticipated to problem the implementation if it outcomes in widespread job losses or discriminatory concentrating on.