The U.S. State Department has halted the issuance of all new worker visas for commercial truck drivers, Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced on Thursday. The suspension takes effect immediately and applies to applicants of every nationality. Rubio said the decision was driven by safety and labor concerns, writing that the growing presence of foreign drivers "is endangering American lives and undercutting the livelihoods of American truckers." No timeframe was given for when visa processing might resume. The policy shift follows a 12-August crash on Florida’s Turnpike that killed three people. Investigators say the driver, 28-year-old Indian national Harjinder Singh, attempted an illegal U-turn before his rig collided with a minivan. Singh, who was in the United States illegally, faces three counts of vehicular homicide, and the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration is examining whether state and federal licensing rules were violated. President Donald Trump has already moved to tighten oversight of foreign drivers. In April he signed an executive order directing regulators to enforce long-standing English-proficiency requirements that some inspectors had been ignoring. According to FMCSA, about 16 percent of U.S. truck drivers were born overseas in 2023; the American Trucking Associations estimates the industry is short roughly 60,000 drivers. A State Department spokesperson said the visa pause will remain in place while officials conduct a comprehensive review of screening and vetting protocols for commercial driver applicants.