In brief
The U.S. Transportation Department is enacting immediate changes to regulations governing non-citizen commercial drivers' licenses due to a series of fatal crashes this year linked to drivers who should not have been licensed. Transport Secretary Sean Duffy announced a nationwide audit revealing many states issued licenses improperly. California faces potential loss of federal funding unless it tightens its licensing practices within 30 days. The aim is to enhance road safety and ensure only eligible drivers hold licenses, after investigations showed significant mismanagement of the program.
The Transportation Department will immediately tighten up the requirements for non-citizens to get commercial driver's licenses following a series of fatal crashes this year involving immigrant truck drivers allegedly driving without valid licenses.
The nationwide audit of commercial driver licenses was triggered after a tragic U-turn crash in Florida that resulted in the deaths of two individuals and was attributed to a driver who was in the U.S. illegally. U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy reported that similar fatal incidents linked to unlicensed drivers have also occurred in Texas and Alabama.
Duffy has threatened to revoke $160 million in federal funding for California due to findings indicating that one in four of the commercial driver's licenses issued to non-citizens since June were improperly granted. The state must audit its licensing program and report corrective steps within 30 days to avoid losing funding.
According to Duffy, the existing rules lack sufficient rigor, and a number of states are failing to enforce them. Licenses were issued inappropriately in California, Colorado, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Texas, and Washington.
We have a government system designed to keep American families safe on the road, but that system has been compromised, stated Duffy.
Under the revised regulations, all states are required to halt the issuance of commercial driving licenses to non-citizens until they comply with stricter measures. Reports suggest that approximately 190,000 of the 200,000 non-citizens currently holding such licenses may not have qualified under the new rules. Therefore, only drivers holding specific visa types (H-2a, H-2b, or E-2) will be eligible for a commercial license moving forward.
The push for stricter regulations follow public outrage over the aforementioned Florida tragedy that drew comments from President Trump and sparked political conflict between Florida and California's governors. The truck driver responsible for the deadly accident, Harjinder Singh, has been charged with vehicular homicide and immigration violations, and has faced significant legal repercussions since.
As states scramble to comply with these updated regulations, it remains to be seen how this directive will reshape the landscape for commercial drivers in the U.S. and enhance road safety.
