After a number of high-profile fatal accidents involving illegal immigrants given commercial licenses, the Trump administration and Republicans in Congress tried to stop the practice.
A series of fatal crashes involving truck drivers in the U.S. illegally has ignited a sweeping national campaign—spanning federal agencies, state governments, and Congress—to tighten rules that govern whether undocumented immigrants can obtain driver’s licenses, particularly commercial driver’s licenses required to operate semitrailers and buses. The crackdown has triggered political and legal battles from California to Florida and now sits before federal courts.
The most dramatic development came when the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals temporarily halted the Trump administration’s new CDL restrictions. The rules—pushed forward rapidly by Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy—would sharply limit which immigrants can receive commercial licenses, allowing only holders of three visa types (H-2A, H-2B, and E-2) to qualify. States would also be required to verify immigration status through a federal database, and licenses issued to qualifying noncitizens would be valid for only one year.
But the court ruled that the Transportation Department “cut too many corners” in rushing the regulation, noting it failed to provide evidence that the targeted noncitizen drivers pose heightened safety risks. In fact, federal data in the rulemaking record showed that immigrants holding CDLs account for about 5% of license holders but only 0.2% of fatal crashes. Judges Florence Pan and Robert Wilkins, both Democratic appointees, concluded the rule appeared “arbitrary and capricious.” Judge Karen Henderson dissented, arguing the government had made a persuasive safety case.
Despite the injunction, federal pressure on states continues—especially on California, now the central flashpoint in the dispute.
California recently revoked 17,000 commercial driver’s licenses issued to immigrants after federal auditors found that many remained valid long after the holders’ legal status in the U.S. had expired. Duffy accused the state of issuing the licenses “illegally” and vowed to force California to “prove they have removed every illegal immigrant from behind the wheel.” California officials disputed the characterization, saying the revocations were required under state law and that the drivers had been legally present at the time of issuance.
A Florida tragedy that helped trigger the federal crackdown has also spurred state-level litigation. Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier filed a lawsuit directly with the U.S. Supreme Court, accusing California of endangering Floridians by issuing CDLs to people unlawfully present in the country. The driver at the center of the incident, Harjinder Singh, is accused of making an illegal U-turn on the Florida Turnpike that caused a crash killing three people. State investigators say Singh failed his written CDL exam ten times and failed behind-the-wheel training in Washington state—yet still received licenses from both Washington and California.
Uthmeier argues California’s licensing and training practices are so lax that they place other states at risk. Florida has launched criminal investigations into the private companies responsible for Singh’s CDL testing, while pursuing maximum charges against him. Singh has pleaded not guilty.
The concerns have broadened well beyond a single incident. In recent months, other deadly crashes involving truck drivers who entered the U.S. illegally—including a multi-vehicle collision on California’s I-10 that killed three people—have prompted acting ICE Director Todd Lyons and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem to publicly denounce “sanctuary states” for enabling undocumented immigrants to obtain CDLs. A recent ICE operation in Chicago resulted in more than 200 undocumented commercial drivers being removed from the road.
Trucking industry groups, including the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association, have urged the federal government to tighten standards further, warning that “CDL mills” in certain states are producing inadequately trained drivers to meet labor demand. Republican lawmakers have followed suit: Sen. Tom Cotton and Rep. Andy Barr introduced the Secure Commercial Driver Licensing Act of 2025 to bar illegal immigrants from obtaining CDLs and to mandate English-language testing nationwide.
States are also taking independent action. In Pennsylvania, lawmakers have proposed a constitutional amendment to permanently prohibit illegal immigrants from receiving any state driver’s license. Supporters argue the measure will prevent future administrations from relaxing requirements, while critics call it a political diversion.
While supporters of tougher restrictions cite public safety, critics—including California Gov. Gavin Newsom—accuse federal officials of scapegoating immigrants and distorting data. Newsom’s office points out that drivers holding California CDLs are involved in fatal crashes at rates below the national average.
