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By Jenna Sundel and Gabe Whisnant
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The Transportation Department will immediately tighten requirements for non-citizens to obtain commercial driver’s licenses after three deadly crashes this year that officials say were caused by immigrant truck drivers who never should have been licensed.
The nationwide audit was launched after a Florida crash in August killed three people, with similar problems identified in Texas and Alabama.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy also threatened to revoke $160 million in federal funding from California after investigators found widespread licensing violations. All states must now pause issuing licenses to non-citizens until they can comply with the new rules.
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Why It Matters
Officials said the new rules would mean that roughly 190,000 of the 200,000 non-citizens who hold one of these commercial licenses should never have received one. The rules are not retroactive, so drivers will not lose their licenses.
An H-2a, H-2b or E-2 visa will now be a requirement for commercial licenses. Individuals who just have an employment authorization document will not be eligible.
What To Know
The new restrictions focus on non-domiciled commercial learner’s permits (CLPs) and non-domiciled commercial driver’s licenses (CDLs).
The American Trucking Associations said these licenses are issued to someone who is legally allowed to work in the U.S. but does not permanently live in the state issuing the license. These individuals are often foreign nationals working under temporary U.S. work authorization.
The American Trucking Associations said these licenses are not issued to Mexican or Canadian nationals, who are already covered by agreements with the U.S.
The Department of Transportation said it found commercial licenses that were issued improperly in California, Colorado, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Texas and Washington.
“We have a government system designed to keep American families on the road safe. But that system has been compromised,” Duffy said.
Last month, three people were killed in a Florida crash after truck driver Harjinder Singh allegedly attempted an illegal U-turn on a Florida highway.
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Singh is charged with three state counts of vehicular homicide and immigration violations.
California's Assembly Bill 60 (AB 60) allows undocumented immigrants to apply for a driver's license if they can provide proof of identity and California residency.
What People Are Saying
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, in a statement: "What our team has discovered should disturb and anger every American. Licenses to operate a massive, 80,000-pound truck are being issued to dangerous foreign drivers – often times illegally. This is a direct threat to the safety of every family on the road, and I won’t stand for it. Today’s actions will prevent unsafe foreign drivers from renewing their license and hold states accountable to immediately invalidate improperly issued licenses.”
American Trucking Associations President and CEO Chris Spear, in comments to the Associated Press: "Rules only work when they are consistently enforced, and it’s imperative that all state driver licensing agencies comply with federal regulations."
What Happens Next
The new rules for issuing commercial licenses are effective immediately.
The Department of Transportation said California has 30 days to audit its program and come up with a plan for compliance, or it will lose funding.
This article includes reporting by the Associated Press.
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