Crackdown on Immigrant CDL Issues: Federal Government Targets Eight States

Sat Dec 13 2025 13:11:19 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

The federal government is intensifying scrutiny on commercial driver's licenses issued to immigrants across eight states after several deadly truck accidents involving unauthorized drivers.

Federal investigations reveal serious issues with commercial driver's licenses granted to immigrants in California, Pennsylvania, Minnesota, New York, Texas, South Dakota, Colorado, and Washington. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy is threatening to withhold millions in federal funding from these states, highlighting concerns over expired licenses and insufficient verification of immigration status. These actions are partly in response to fatal incidents involving unauthorized drivers, raising urgent questions about public safety and regulatory compliance in the commercial driving sector.

The federal government’s crackdown on commercial driver’s licenses for immigrants has found problems in eight states following several deadly crashes.:\p>

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy has publicly threatened to withhold millions in federal money from California, Pennsylvania, Minnesota, and now New York after investigations found licenses that remained valid long after an immigrant’s legal status expired. Concerns escalated after a tractor-trailer crash involving an unauthorized driver in Florida killed three people in August and another incident in California followed suit.

Duffy has proposed new restrictions to limit which noncitizens can obtain a commercial license, but a court has put these rules on hold.

State-by-State Breakdown

California

California faced scrutiny due to issuing driver's licenses to unauthorized individuals, prompting Duffy to threaten funding cuts. However, after current reviews, the number of revoked licenses has risen significantly.

Pennsylvania

Federal audits threaten $75 million in funding pending compliance on license verifications.

Minnesota

The potential loss of $30.4 million looms if issues are not addressed. The state has recognized administrative errors in license issuance.

New York

New York's practices under scrutiny, with reports indicating over 50% of licenses reviewed were improperly issued.

Texas, South Dakota, Colorado, and Washington

Each state has received attention for issuing licenses that fail to meet immigration verification standards, raising the stakes for public safety and regulatory compliance.

The situation continues to develop as federal investigations and state responses evolve, showcasing the challenge of maintaining safety in the commercial trucking industry amidst complex immigration issues.