Cuban truck drivers in check after Trump's order requiring English proficiency

US President Donald Trump's recent decree requiring truck drivers to demonstrate English proficiency could significantly affect Cuban truck drivers in the United States. They will have to pass a literacy test. More details to follow.

The Cuban truckers community in the United States expressed its concerncupaction following the signing of a new executive order by President Donald Trump requiring all commercial vehicle drivers in the country to demonstrate proficiency in the English language.

The measure, according to the White House, has as its target improve public safety and communication with authorities in each US state.

The decree directs the Department of Transportation to include an English proficiency test as a mandatory requirement for obtaining or renewing a commercial driver's license (CDL).

The White House argued that the lack of language proficiency has created risks on the roads and complications in interacting with local and federal authorities.

For many truck drivers of Cuban origin, this policy represents a challenge. Despite years of experience in the transportation sector, the new requirement could jeopardize their livelihoods if they don't meet the required level of English.

Trump forces Cuban truck drivers to know English and prove it

Many of them, although they have adapted to the American labor market, face language barriers due to a lack of access to language courses or the need to work long hours, without being able to dedicate time to studying the local language.

“This measure is unfair. It's not just about speaking English; it's about having experience and knowledge of the road. I've been driving for over ten years without an accident,” said Ernesto Gutiérrez, a Cuban truck driver living in Florida.

For its part, the National Trucking Association also criticized the narrative linking foreign truckers to road safety, calling it misleading.

According to the organization, the data has been manipulated to support political agendas that harm immigrant workers, such as Cuban truck drivers, who, under Trump's mandate, will now be required to speak English and pass a literacy test.