One of the duties assigned to the Supreme Court by the Constitution is to hear disputes between states.
It’s the court of original jurisdiction in those cases because there literally is no other forum in which states can challenge each others’ actions.
But this Supreme Court has said no.
It now leaves Florida with a problem for which there is no solution: The granting of commercial driver’s licenses to foreigners, often illegal aliens, who cannot read English road signs and have already a documented history of killing people in fatal accidents they cause.
The high court’s majority said, “The motion for leave to file a bill of complaint is denied.”
That was the total opinion in Florida’s fight with the states of California and Washington over their procedures granting dangerous drivers permission to operate 80,000-pound big rigs on America’s roads.
Justice Clarence Thomas erupted in a dissent that was joined by Justice Samuel Alito.
“We cannot refuse to hear suits between states,” Thomas wrote, after the majority did exactly that.
He explained the result of the actions in California and Washington have been “the disturbing phenomenon of illegal-alien truck drivers causing fatal accidents on the road.”
In specific, Thomas wrote, “On August 12, 2025, Harjinder Singh crashed a tractor trailer into a minivan on the Florida Turnpike. While driving on the highway, Singh approached a sign clearly prohibiting U-turns and marking the turnaround area for ‘official use only.’ Singh inexplicably attempted a U-turn across the median anyway. Singh’s U-turn swung his trailer across both lanes of the highway, where it could not be avoided by a minivan traveling behind him. All three passengers in the minivan died. Singh was arrested for vehicular homicide. Law enforcement soon discovered that Singh, an Indian who had crossed the Mexican border illegally, likely could not read the road signs.”
A followup test found Singh could not correctly answer most of its verbal questions and that he could identify only one out of four highway signs.
Thomas said, “An illegal alien who cannot read English road signs cannot drive an 80,000-pound tractor-trailer. Federal law and regulations prohibit states from providing commercial driver’s licenses to applicants unless they pass a driver’s test, sufficiently understand the English language, and show appropriate immigration status.”
Further, it’s clear the problem is at least partly caused by “systemic non-compliance” with federal law by California.
Florida went to the Supreme Court because Washington and California laws “are preempted by federal law to the extent that they prohibit licensing officials from asking applicants about immigration status. Florida also claims that both States’ disregard of federal commercial licensing standards constituted an actionable public nuisance.”
He explained the Supreme Court has exclusive original jurisdiction because it involves one state suing another.
“Article III establishes that ‘[i]n all Cases … in which a State shall be [a] Party, the Supreme Court shall have original Jurisdiction.'”
The result?
“If this court does not exercise jurisdiction over a controversy between two States, then the complaining state has no judicial forum in which to seek relief.”
