Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA: Authorities announced that a coordinated three-day operation conducted by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) together with the Oklahoma Highway Patrol (OHP) along Interstate 40 resulted in the detention of 120 undocumented immigrants, including 91 individuals driving commercial 18-wheel trucks. The enforcement action, carried out between September 22 and 25, was part of the state’s continued partnership with ICE under the federal 287(g) program, which allows local law enforcement to assist in identifying and apprehending individuals residing in the country illegally.
ICE stated that the operation focused on addressing “public safety threats” and involved arrests of people with previous convictions for offences such as DUI, human trafficking, drug smuggling, money laundering, and unlawful re-entry into the U.S. Additionally, two arrests were made in connection with a marijuana cultivation site.
Although ICE did not provide details on the nationalities of those detained, multiple Indian media outlets and social media reports indicate that 28 to 30 of the individuals were Punjabi truck drivers employed in the U.S. without proper documentation. These reports have generated significant attention within the Indian diaspora, especially among Punjabi trucking circles, who represent a noticeable segment of the U.S. freight and logistics workforce.
“Individuals residing illegally should not be operating 18-wheel trucks on American highways,” said ICE Deputy Director Madison Sheahan. “Removing these individuals from our roads makes them safer. We urge additional state and local agencies to collaborate with ICE under the 287(g) program to address similar public safety concerns.”
The enforcement action comes in the wake of several high-profile cases involving undocumented truck drivers. ICE highlighted incidents, including that of Harjinder Singh, who was arrested in Florida and charged with three counts of vehicular homicide while driving a semi-truck, as well as a case in California where an undocumented driver caused a crash that severely injured a 5-year-old girl.
