The federal government’s crackdown on commercial driver’s licenses for immigrants has run into problems in eight states so far following several deadly crashes.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy has publicly threatened to withhold millions in federal funds from California, Pennsylvania, Minnesota and now New York after investigations found problems such as licenses remaining in effect long after an immigrant’s legal status expired. But the department also quietly sent letters detailing similar concerns to Texas, South Dakota, Colorado and Washington during the government shutdown after briefly mentioning those states in September.
Concerns about migrant truck drivers gained attention after an unauthorized tractor-trailer driver made an illegal turn and caused a crash in Florida in August. Who killed three people. A California fire accident The killing of three people last October and the involvement of a truck driver in the country illegally also raised concerns.
Daffy Proposed new restrictions In September, it would severely limit the ability of non-citizens to obtain a license to drive a semi or bus, but the court did so. Put the new rules on hold.
In addition, the Trump administration has sought to enforce what exists English language requirements For truck drivers since the summer. As of October, about 9,500 truck drivers have been pulled off the roads across the country for failing to prove their English proficiency during traffic stops or inspections.
Here is a summary of what has happened so far:
The Department of Transportation first focused on California because the driver in the Florida accident had a driver’s license there. He also went to California after the incident and had to be extradited to face charges.
California responded after Duffy threatened to withdraw $160 million from the state. Gov. Gavin Newsom sparred with Duffy in statements and social media posts in which she defended the state’s practices by saying California officials had verified the immigration status of all those drivers through federal databases, as required.
But then back and forth, ca 17,000 commercial driving licenses withdrawn Last month after confirming that there were problems with them. This number has since risen to 21,000. So the Department for Transport has not withdrawn this funding.
But Duffy did it Separate cancellation of $40 million In federal funding because he said California is the only state that does not enforce the law English language requirements For truck drivers.
Federal government May be blocked Nearly $75 million from the state of Pennsylvania if it is not satisfied with the actions taken by the state.
The Ministry of Transport said its review found that two of the 150 licenses it reviewed were valid after the end of the driver’s legal presence in the country. In four other cases, the federal government said Pennsylvania provided no evidence that it required noncitizens to provide legitimate proof of being legally in the country at the time they obtained their license.
As it has done in all of these states, the Department of Transportation ordered Pennsylvania to stop issuing commercial driver’s licenses to immigrants until it completes a full review to ensure that all licenses it has issued remain valid and any invalid licenses are revoked.
Nearly 12,400 noncitizen drivers hold an unexpired commercial learner permit or commercial driver’s license issued by Pennsylvania, the federal government said.
Duffy threatened to withhold $30.4 million from Minnesota if that state did not address deficiencies in its commercial driver’s license program and revoke any licenses that should never have been issued.
The Department of Transportation found some licenses that were valid beyond the driver’s work permit and some where the state never verified the driver’s immigration status.
Bong Xiong, head of the Minnesota Department of Driver and Vehicle Services, said the state found a number of administrative issues with 2,117 non-local business licenses issued by the state and took action, including revoking some licenses. The federal audit largely confirmed the problems Minnesota had already discovered and corrected, Cheung said.
The state plans to work with federal officials to resolve any remaining questions.
Daffy Highlight concerns About business licenses issued by New York to noncitizens on Friday.
Federal investigators found that more than half of the 200 licenses they reviewed in New York were improperly issued, with many failing to be valid for eight years regardless of when an immigrant’s work permit expires. He said the state could not prove that it verified the immigration status of those drivers regarding the 32,000 active non-domestic business licenses it issued. Additionally, investigators found some examples of licenses being issued in New York even when applicants’ work permits had already expired.
“New York must act immediately to conduct a comprehensive review of its CDL program and revoke all illegally issued licenses,” said Derek Baars, Administrator of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration.
State DMV spokesman Walter McClure defended the state’s practices and said New York follows all federal rules for this type of business license.
Nearly half of the 123 licenses reviewed by investigators in Texas were defective, so the Department of Transportation threatened to withhold $182 million if the state did not reform its licensing programs and revoke any defective licenses.
A spokesperson for Texas Governor Greg Abbott said in a statement, “Public safety is the Governor’s top priority, and we must ensure that truck drivers can navigate Texas roadways safely and efficiently. To support this mission, Governor Abbott has directed the Texas Department of Public Safety to strictly enforce English language proficiency requirements and stop issuing in-state commercial driver’s licenses to drivers who do not meet these standards.”
Investigators found three state-issued business licenses that had been valid for longer than they should have been. South Dakota also issues several licenses to Canadian citizens who are not eligible to obtain one.
Problematic practices investigators reviewing 51 licenses in South Dakota found that the state routinely issues temporary paper licenses good for one year regardless of the driver’s immigration status.
South Dakota state officials did not immediately respond Friday to those concerns. The state could lose $13.25 million.
Nearly 22% of the 99 licenses reviewed in Colorado violated federal requirements. This raises questions about the state’s 1,848 active non-domestic commercial driver’s licenses.
Investigators discovered a glitch in Colorado’s computer system that would cause a license to be valid for four years when a worker had to perform multiple searches in the federal immigration database. Unless the operator is vigilant, some of those extended licenses sneak through.
Eighteen ineligible Mexican nationals were also issued business licenses.
The state is in the middle of reviewing its licensing program to check for any additional problems, and that review should be done by January, said Jennifer Giambi, a spokeswoman for the Colorado DMV. There are no new licenses being released in the program at this time.
The state could lose $31.35 million if the Department of Transportation is not satisfied with its response.
Investigators found problems in only about 10 percent of the 125 licenses they reviewed in Washington, but were alarmed to learn that an internal state audit discovered 685 immigrant drivers had been issued regular commercial licenses instead of the nondomestic licenses they should have received. State officials often accept the wrong documents in those cases, the Department of Transportation said.
Officials in Washington told the Associated Press that they were unable to respond immediately on Friday as the state faced widespread flooding. But earlier this week, state Department of Licensing spokesman Nathan Olson said in an email to The Seattle Times that the errors have been addressed and Washington is working to improve its system and procedures.