Then-Hillsborough County Republican state Sen. Jay Collins speaking in Tampa on May 12, 2025. (Photo by Mitch Perry/Florida Phoenix)
Lt. Gov. Jay Collins, on the ground in California, insisted his trip to the West Coast to extradite to Florida an immigrant charged with vehicular homicide was not performative, although that state’s governor insists otherwise.
Wednesday, Collins announced he was headed to California to bring back Harjinder Singh, an immigrant from India facing three vehicular homicide charges after attempting a U-Turn in a semi-truck on the Florida Turnpike. A minivan crashed into his vehicle, killing three people.
“I am here to make sure that things happen the right way,” Collins said during a solo news conference at the airport in Stockton, California.
Undocumented truck driver arrested for vehicular homicide in St. Lucie County
Following the crash, Singh returned to California, where he lives.
“It’s not about words, it’s about deeds,” Collins said. “That is why I am here today, to make sure this guy is brought to justice, right back in Florida, to let our folks know we will go to any step necessary to make sure that freedom remains, that justice is served, and the rule of law is held accountable.”
California Gov. Gavin Newsom, a Democrat, gave his recollection of the events, noting that Florida cops didn’t arrest Singh immediately.
“Florida let a murder suspect walk, California police had to step in and arrest him, and now Florida’s new LG is staging a photo op to pick him up,” Newsom’s press office posted to social media Thursday.
A reporter Thursday asked Collins about Newsom’s comments.
“What a bunch of hogwash. I don’t think he understands the first thing about leadership,” Collins said.
“Leadership is getting on the ground and saying the hard things. This isn’t our home turf. I am out here answering questions in California because I believe in protecting our citizenry that much. I believe in leadership that matters. This is not performative, this is what leadership should be.”
When asked why Florida highway troopers didn’t take Singh into custody, Collins said, “You’re focused on something that’s nonsense, when he shouldn’t have gotten a license in California to freakin’ begin with. It’s wrong. It’s unacceptable.”
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Flight data shows that the Florida Department of Law Enforcement jet that Gov. Ron DeSantis frequently rides in took off from the Stockton Metropolitan Airport just before 2 p.m. Eastern Thursday.
State Rep. Alex Andrade criticized Collins Wednesday on social media, calling him a “politician acting like a keystone cop” and asking, “Why are we wasting taxpayer resources on political stunts? Why was this guy allowed to leave Florida in the first place?”
Andrade is a Pensacola Republican who clashed with the DeSantis administration over the steerage of Medicaid overpayment settlement funds to the Hope Florida Foundation, a project of First Lady Casey DeSantis. Much of the money was given to groups opposing a marijuana legalization citizens’ initiative.
The Modesto Bee reported Wednesday that Singh signed extradition papers Tuesday, giving Florida 30 days to take him into custody. Singh had a fugitive warrant and appeared in San Joaquin Superior Court in Stockton, the Bee reported.
Collins called on California to take 287(g) agreements and other immigration enforcement measures more seriously.
“Let’s not overstate, you can not say this enough: Three lives ended early because of that, because of failed border policy,” Collins said.
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