Los Angeles (BN24) – California will revoke 17,000 commercial driver’s licenses issued to immigrant truck and bus drivers following federal scrutiny over how the state granted permits to noncitizens. But Gov. Gavin Newsom insists the move is unrelated to the Trump administration’s concerns about immigrants in the country illegally obtaining permission to operate semitrucks and buses.
Newsom said the revocations stem from unspecified violations of state law, though he did not elaborate. His office noted the violations involve standards established long before the Trump administration launched a nationwide audit of commercial driver licensing practices. That audit began after a Florida crash in which a driver in the country illegally made a U-turn, killing three people.
A string of deadly crashes involving noncitizen truck drivers in Texas, Alabama, and California has intensified national attention on the issue. The latest California crash last month, which killed three people, heightened pressure on the state’s licensing system.
Federal Officials Say California Was “Caught Red-Handed”
U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy sharply criticized California’s actions, calling the revocations evidence that the state had improperly issued thousands of commercial licenses while defending standards the federal government deemed flawed.
Duffy already imposed restrictions on which immigrants may qualify for commercial licenses and accused six states — including California — of allowing noncitizens to bypass federal requirements. California, he said, failed to enforce English-language proficiency rules, prompting him to revoke $40 million in federal funding, with an additional $160 million threatened.
“After weeks of claiming they did nothing wrong, Gavin Newsom and California have been caught red-handed,” Duffy said. “Now that we’ve exposed their lies, 17,000 illegally issued trucking licenses are being revoked. This is just the tip of the iceberg.”
Newsom Pushes Back, Calls Claims “Falsehoods”
Newsom’s office strongly rejected Duffy’s assertions, saying every driver whose license is being revoked had valid federal work authorization.
“Once again, Sean ‘Road Rules’ Duffy fails to share the truth — spreading easily disproven falsehoods in a sad and desperate attempt to please his dear leader,” spokesman Brandon Richards said.
The governor’s office emphasized that the new federal restrictions did not exist when the 17,000 licenses were issued. Drivers have been notified that their licenses will expire within 60 days.
New Federal Rules Could Dramatically Limit Immigrant Truckers
Under the new guidelines announced in September, immigrants will face far stricter limits. Only those with H-2A, H-2B, or E-2 visas would qualify for a commercial driver’s license — a shift that could disqualify 190,000 of the 200,000 noncitizens currently licensed, though their permits will remain valid until renewal.
States must also verify each applicant’s immigration status through a federal database.
Duffy previously said that an audit of 145 California-issued licenses revealed that one-quarter should not have been approved, citing cases where licenses remained valid long after a driver’s work permit had expired.
Newsom’s office countered that California followed guidance provided by the Department of Homeland Security at the time these licenses were issued.
State transportation officials did not respond to detailed questions regarding the specific violations that triggered the mass revocations.
