The Trump administration is ‘cracking down’ on Mexican train crews it says lack English skills

The U.S. Department of Transportation announced it’s “cracking down” on train operators that it says lack basic English proficiency.

The Federal Railroad Administration says inspections at rail crossings along the border raised safety concerns regarding the use of Mexican railroad crews inside the United States.

It says those inspections revealed instances in which inbound crews had difficulty interpreting track bulletins and communicating safety requirements in English.

The notices come at the same time as the Trump administration is attempting to crack down on truck drivers it says don’t meet English proficiency requirements.

“Whether you're operating an 80,000-pound big rig or a massive freight train, you need to be proficient in our national language — English. If you aren’t, you create an unacceptable safety risk,” said U.S. Transportation Sec. Sean Duffy in a statement.

In letters to two railroad companies, the administration said crews from Mexico should not operate more than 10 miles inside the United States. One of the companies, Union Pacific, operates the railroad crossing in Nogales from Sonora into Arizona. That crossing was not named in the letter notifying Union Pacific of the inspection.

“We have the same goals — a safe, secure border that keeps the supply chain fluid,” a Union Pacific spokesperson said in a statement. “Part of ensuring safe operations is good communication. We will continue to work with our federal partners to enhance the process, which has worked at both borders for many years.”