The federal government’s crackdown on commercial driver’s licenses (CDLs) for immigrants has uncovered problems in eight states, following a series of deadly crashes involving truck drivers who were not authorized to be in the U.S.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy has publicly threatened to withhold millions in federal funding from California, Pennsylvania, Minnesota, and New York after audits revealed issues such as licenses that remained valid beyond an immigrant driver’s legal status. Letters sent quietly during the recent government shutdown flagged similar concerns in Texas, South Dakota, Colorado, and Washington.
The heightened scrutiny comes after several high-profile crashes. In August, a tractor-trailer driver without legal authorization in the U.S. made an illegal U-turn in Florida, killing three people. Another deadly crash in California in October involved a truck driver in the country illegally, also resulting in three fatalities. The Trump administration has additionally moved to enforce English language requirements for truckers; as of October, about 9,500 drivers nationwide were removed from the road for failing to demonstrate English proficiency.
California became the initial focus because the Florida crash driver held a license there and had traveled to the state following the crash. After Duffy threatened to withhold $160 million in federal funding, Gov. Gavin Newsom defended the state, saying officials had verified the immigration status of all drivers using federal databases. California later revoked 21,000 commercial licenses after confirming discrepancies, allowing the state to retain its federal funds.
Pennsylvania faces the possibility of losing nearly $75 million if it does not address the federal concerns. An audit found that a few licenses out of 150 reviewed remained valid after the driver’s lawful presence ended, while four other cases lacked evidence that the state had verified legal status before issuing licenses. Pennsylvania has been ordered to halt issuing CDLs to immigrants until it completes a full review. Approximately 12,400 noncitizen drivers currently hold unexpired commercial learner’s permits or licenses in the state.
Minnesota is under similar scrutiny. Duffy threatened to withhold $30.4 million after federal auditors found licenses valid beyond work permits and cases where immigration status was not verified. The state, which has issued 2,117 non-domiciled commercial licenses, acknowledged administrative issues and has canceled some licenses. Minnesota officials said the audit largely confirmed problems the state had already addressed, and they plan to work with federal authorities to resolve remaining questions.
Duffy also revoked $40 million in funding from California for failing to enforce English language requirements. The Department of Transportation continues to monitor state compliance with licensing rules to ensure public safety on U.S. roads.
By DNU Staff