The Trump administration on Friday issued an emergency regulation for non-U.S. citizens seeking to obtain a commercial driver's license (CDL) following a string of deadly crashes and a nationwide government audit.
Effective immediately, non-citizens seeking a CDL must have an employment-based visa and undergo a mandatory federal immigration status check, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said during a press conference.
The current system grants licenses to foreign drivers who are not U.S. citizens or permanent lawful residents, Duffy said.
“The process for issuing these licenses is absolutely 100 percent broken," he stated. “It has become a threat to public safety, and it is a national emergency that requires action right now.”
To outline the dangers, Duffy shared images of three recent deadly crashes.
On March 14 in Texas, a truck driver failed to brake and crashed into a line of traffic, causing a 17-vehicle pileup. A post-crash investigation revealed the driver’s history of unsafe lane changes and ignoring traffic signs.
On May 6 in Alabama, a driver with less than six weeks of experience who previously failed a skills test for speeding slammed the tractor-trailer, killing two people.
According to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Singh obtained a commercial driver’s license in California, which is one of 19 states, in addition to the District of Columbia, that issue licenses regardless of immigration status, according to the National Immigration Law Center.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom claimed Singh obtained a work permit while Trump was president, but DHS spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin argued that the federal government denied Singh a permit during Trump’s first term in September 2020. Singh was later granted a permit under President Joe Biden in June 2021, McLaughlin said.
In addition to Friday’s emergency regulation, the Trump administration is also launching an enforcement action against California, requiring it to pause issuing some commercial driver licenses to non-U.S. citizens.