Nearly two years after a devastating crash left her critically injured, seven-year-old Dalilah Coleman met with Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin to advance federal legislation bearing her name that would ban states from issuing commercial driver’s licenses to undocumented immigrants.

The Crash That Changed Everything

On June 20, 2024, Partap Singh, an undocumented immigrant from India who had illegally entered through the southern border in October 2022, was driving a commercial truck despite his immigration status. Singh sped through a construction zone and failed to stop for traffic, causing a devastating collision that nearly killed five-year-old Dalilah Coleman. The Biden administration had previously released Singh after his illegal entry.

Dalilah spent three weeks in a coma following the accident. She required six months of hospitalization, including a craniectomy that left her without half her skull for four months. The young girl now lives with diplegic cerebral palsy and global developmental delay, requiring lifelong therapy according to the Department of Homeland Security.

Federal Push For Change

The Trump administration has made passing the proposed legislation a priority. During his State of the Union address earlier this year, President Trump directly urged Congress to act on the measure. The law would prohibit any state from granting commercial driver’s licenses to undocumented persons, closing what supporters call a dangerous loophole in public safety regulations.

Secretary Mullin emphasized the urgency during his meeting with the Coleman family. He stated that Dalilah represents just one of countless victims of illegal immigrant truck drivers, reinforcing the administration’s call for congressional action. Singh was arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement in August 2025 and remains in federal custody facing deportation proceedings.

State-Level Campaign

Marcus Coleman, Dalilah’s father, outlined plans to take the fight to state governments nationwide. He announced intentions to approach governors across the country, asking them to sign the proposed standard and pledge their states to implementing stricter laws on commercial trucking and immigrant licensing. Coleman previously reached out to California Governor Gavin Newsom’s office following the accident but received no response, he revealed during a January Fox News appearance.

The campaign represents a grassroots effort to bypass potential federal delays by securing state-by-state commitments. The Coleman family believes direct appeals to governors may accelerate protections that federal legislation could take years to implement, potentially preventing similar tragedies while Congress debates the measure.