In brief
The Transportation Department is implementing new stricter regulations for non-citizens seeking commercial drivers licenses after three fatal accidents attributed to drivers who should not hold these licenses. This follows an audit indicating widespread non-compliance in several states, including California, which could lose significant federal funding if changes are not enacted within 30 days. The new rules will restrict eligibility explicitly to non-citizens with specific visa types.
The Transportation Department will immediately tighten requirements for non-citizens seeking commercial drivers licenses following three fatal accidents this year attributed to immigrant truck drivers who were not legally permitted to hold these licenses.
The nationwide audit of commercial drivers licenses commenced after a tragic fatal U-turn crash in Florida claimed two lives, where the truck driver was identified as being in the country illegally. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy reported similar deadly incidents involving unlicensed drivers occurred in Texas and Alabama in the same period.
Duffy indicated the department's intent to revoke $160 million in federal funding to California, revealing that one out of every four of the 145 commercial drivers licenses issued to non-citizens since June were improperly granted. California must conduct an audit and provide a compliance plan within 30 days to avoid losing federal support.
The audit uncovered improper licensing practices across multiple states, including Colorado, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Texas, and Washington. Duffy criticized the current regulations, stating they are not stringent enough and that numerous states are failing to adhere to them.
“We have a government system designed to keep American families on the road safe. But that system has been compromised,” remarked Duffy.
In particular, non-citizens with employment authorization documents will no longer qualify unless they possess either H-2a, H-2b, or E-2 visas.
Previously, Duffy had previously indicated the possibility of withholding funds from California, Washington, and New Mexico for their non-compliance with federal language requirements for truckers. The recent findings from the state of Florida further ignited political debates, notably between Florida's Governor and the Trump administration.
In a separate incident, a truck accident in Florida driven by Harjinder Singh, who claims to be a Sikh, exacerbated tensions, leading to a political scuffle that placed immigrant truck drivers under scrutiny. Singh faces charges including vehicular homicide and immigration violations due to his illegal U-turn on the highway that resulted in multiple fatalities. He is currently undergoing legal proceedings with a hearing scheduled imminently.
This evolving situation raises significant questions about the enforcement of regulations surrounding commercial drivers licenses and the implications for public safety.
