DHS Secretary Noem Renews Attack on California Immigration Policies Citing Child’s Life-Altering Injuries
Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem has issued a sharp rebuke of California’s sanctuary state policies, highlighting the case of Dalilah Coleman, a child who suffered critical injuries in a collision involving a semi-truck driver residing in the country without legal status.
In a statement shared on social media, Secretary Noem described Dalilah as a “caring and vivacious child” whose life was irrevocably changed by the crash. “Dalilah… suffered critical, life changing injuries caused by an illegal alien driving an 18-wheeler,” Noem wrote, positioning the tragedy as a direct consequence of lax state regulations regarding undocumented immigrants and commercial driving privileges.
Incident Details and Background
The controversy centers on a multi-vehicle pileup that occurred in June 2024 in Adelanto, San Bernardino County. Dalilah, then five years old, was a passenger in a vehicle struck by a commercial truck driven by Partap Singh, an Indian national.
According to DHS records, Singh entered the United States illegally in 2022 and was subsequently released into the country while awaiting immigration proceedings. He later obtained a Commercial Driver’s License (CDL) through the California Department of Motor Vehicles. The crash left Dalilah with severe trauma, including a fractured skull and broken femur. Family members report that she spent weeks in a coma and has since been diagnosed with diplegic cerebral palsy and global developmental delays, requiring her to relearn how to walk and talk.
Singh was arrested by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in Fresno in August 2025.
Political Dispute and Objections
Secretary Noem has used the incident to criticize Governor Gavin Newsom, arguing that California’s licensing policies endanger public safety by allowing individuals with unresolved immigration status to operate heavy commercial vehicles. She characterized the issuance of the CDL to Singh as “playing games with American lives.”
However, California officials have pushed back against these assertions, noting that driver licensing eligibility is often tied to federal documentation. Governor Newsom’s office has previously stated that Singh possessed a valid federal work permit at the time he applied for his license. This authorization, granted by the federal government, made him eligible to apply for a driver’s license in any state, complicating the narrative that the incident was solely the result of state-level “sanctuary” policies.
Broader Implications
The dispute highlights the ongoing friction between federal immigration enforcement and state jurisdictions. While the DHS under the current administration has ramped up efforts to deport individuals with criminal records or those deemed threats to public safety—launching initiatives like “Operation Midway Blitz” to target undocumented commercial drivers—advocates for immigrant rights argue that such broad enforcement actions can conflate administrative violations with violent crime.
Dalilah’s father, Marcus Coleman, has expressed frustration with the political back-and-forth, emphasizing the lack of support for his daughter’s long-term medical needs. “I shouldn’t have to be reaching out to anybody else to help us when [Newsom] is here in California,” Coleman said in a recent interview, calling for greater accountability from state leadership regarding roadway safety regulations.
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