A Teamsters Local 705 union official is facing backlash after telling members during a Chicago labor training session that employers should not take action against workers based on immigration status, amid increased scrutiny of commercial truck drivers involved in recent fatal crashes.
Richard DeVries, a union official with Teamsters Local 705, made the comments at a Jan. 31 “Know Your Rights” training hosted by the Illinois AFL-CIO and Chicago Federation of Labor.
At the session, DeVries urged union members to resist employers “playing ICE” by reporting immigrant workers to federal authorities, saying union contracts are designed to protect members from employer-led immigration enforcement.
“One of the things that I think everyone who is union needs to pay attention to is your union contract,” DeVries, who attended as a member of the audience, said. “We have a duty to fair representation obligation. And that obligation is literally recognized by the National Labor Relations Board, who clearly says we cannot distinguish because of people’s immigration status.”
“We, as officers, business agents, stewards, have an obligation to represent our members,” he said. “So one of the critical problems out there is not ICE, it’s the employer playing ICE, choosing to do their own spin on what they think the law is. So please also look at your contract and be sure to represent your members in your workplace against employer mistakes.”
The training included presentations on workers’ rights during immigration enforcement encounters.
DeVries has worked in labor leadership since 2003 and has lectured on labor topics, including contract costing courses in partnership with DePaul University.
Union records indicate DeVries is paid over $140,000 per year in annual compensation as a business agent for Local 705.
Teamsters Local 705 represents roughly 17,000 workers in industries including UPS, freight, warehousing and public works and has expanded organizing efforts among truck drivers in Illinois.
In September 2024, the International Brotherhood of Teamsters declined to endorse a candidate in the presidential election, breaking with its longstanding practice. Internal surveys suggested 60% of Teamsters supported Donald Trump over Kamala Harris.
The backdrop for DeVries’ comments comes amid heightened national scrutiny of illegal immigrants holding commercial driver’s licenses (CDLs) following a string of fatal crashes.
In December 2025, Rajinder Kumar, an Indian national in Oregon, was charged in a crash that killed a newlywed couple after receiving a California CDL. Huang Yisong, a 54-year-old Chinese national, faced vehicular homicide charges in a Tennessee tour bus crash despite holding a New York CDL obtained through federal work authorization.
Earlier in October 2025, Broko Stankovic, an illegal immigrant in Indiana, allegedly caused a fatal semi-truck crash while driving with a suspended family member’s CDL.
In October 2025, Broko Stankovic, an immigrant in Indiana, allegedly caused a fatal semi-truck crash while driving with a suspended CDL belonging to a family member.
Also in October, Jashanpreet Singh, a 21-year-old Indian national, allegedly drove a semi-truck under the influence of drugs into slow-moving traffic on California’s I-10 Freeway, killing three people and injuring several others after crossing the border in 2022 and being released into the U.S. under federal immigration procedures.
In August 2025, Harjinder Singh, an Indian national in Florida, was involved in a deadly 18-wheeler crash that killed three Haitian immigrants. He later faced charges of vehicular manslaughter and reckless driving.
In response, Republican lawmakers U.S. Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) and U.S. Rep. Andy Barr (R-Ky.) have introduced the Secure Commercial Driver Licensing Act of 2025, which would allow federal authorities to revoke a state’s authority to issue commercial driver’s licenses to noncitizens.
They said the measure is intended to improve training and safety standards and address concerns about improperly trained drivers obtaining licenses in some states.
“CDL mills are substandard training programs that offer quick credentials, and recent incidents and reports indicate these mills are prioritizing volume over proper safety and training requirements,” Cotton and Barr wrote.
