US Transportation Secretary Threatens to Pull $160M from California Over Non-Citizen Truck Licenses
A high-stakes standoff has emerged between the US Department of Transportation and California Governor Gavin Newsom over the state's issuance of commercial driver's licenses to non-citizens. According to US Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, the state is refusing to comply with federal rules requiring a halt on issuing such licenses, prompting him to threaten to revoke $160 million in federal funds.
The move comes after a nationwide audit found that California had issued tens of thousands of licenses to individuals who are not authorized to work in the US. Duffy warned that if California does not come into compliance, the state will lose its ability to issue commercial driver's licenses altogether.
California officials have pushed back on the allegations, saying the Trump administration has no legitimate basis for withholding federal highway transportation funds. "The federal government previously allowed commercial driver's licenses for asylum seekers and refugees and announced emergency regulations to cease this practice that went into effect," said a spokesperson for the California Department of Motor Vehicles.
Duffy's threats are part of a broader effort by the Trump administration to crack down on what it sees as lax enforcement of English language requirements for truckers. The investigation was launched after a fatal crash in Florida involving an undocumented immigrant driver, and found significant failures in California's enforcement of rules that took effect earlier this year.
California has defended its practices, pointing out that CDL holders from the state have a significantly lower rate of crashes than both the national average and that of Texas, which is the only state with more licensed commercial drivers. The dispute highlights the tensions between federal and state authorities over issues related to immigration and driver's licenses.
A high-stakes standoff has emerged between the US Department of Transportation and California Governor Gavin Newsom over the state's issuance of commercial driver's licenses to non-citizens. According to US Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, the state is refusing to comply with federal rules requiring a halt on issuing such licenses, prompting him to threaten to revoke $160 million in federal funds.
The move comes after a nationwide audit found that California had issued tens of thousands of licenses to individuals who are not authorized to work in the US. Duffy warned that if California does not come into compliance, the state will lose its ability to issue commercial driver's licenses altogether.
California officials have pushed back on the allegations, saying the Trump administration has no legitimate basis for withholding federal highway transportation funds. "The federal government previously allowed commercial driver's licenses for asylum seekers and refugees and announced emergency regulations to cease this practice that went into effect," said a spokesperson for the California Department of Motor Vehicles.
Duffy's threats are part of a broader effort by the Trump administration to crack down on what it sees as lax enforcement of English language requirements for truckers. The investigation was launched after a fatal crash in Florida involving an undocumented immigrant driver, and found significant failures in California's enforcement of rules that took effect earlier this year.
California has defended its practices, pointing out that CDL holders from the state have a significantly lower rate of crashes than both the national average and that of Texas, which is the only state with more licensed commercial drivers. The dispute highlights the tensions between federal and state authorities over issues related to immigration and driver's licenses.
I mean, I get it, $160M is a lot of cash, but like, come on California? It's not fair to punish them for trying to be inclusive 
. And what's the point of having a diverse workforce if they're gonna take away their licenses? 
Plus, have you seen those crash stats? The fact that CDL holders from CA have lower rates than TX and the national average is kinda a big deal 
. I'm not saying California's doing everything right, but can't we just find a middle ground here? 
$160M on the line for Cali if they don't shape up 
. Can you imagine having to pull all that cash from a place with some of the most talented truckers in the country? It's just gonna make things worse, like those asylum seekers who got licenses and were in crashes but still on the road... 
California needs to get their act together but this is a big deal. 50K+ non-citizens driving around with no English skills? Red flags everywhere! 
idk if the feds have a right to pull funding or whatever... seems kinda extreme to me... so what if cali issued licenses to non-citizens? does that mean they're not safe to drive? my cousin's friend is a trucker and he says it's all about following rules, but like, which ones are the most important? 
But at the same time, I think California is making a legit point about their own rigorous testing and training processes. Those CDL holders from Cal have got some crazy low crash rates - like, lower than even Texas! 
It's like we're playing whack-a-mole with immigration rules - always pushing one set of problems down to another level.
. Maybe there's a way to reform the system that balances safety with compassion? 
. Plus, what about all those Californians who are actually good drivers and have been issued licenses? It just feels like the feds are trying to exert their power over states that don't agree with them 
... but I guess that's how politics works sometimes 
. The fact that the Trump administration is using a fatal crash as an excuse to crack down on English language requirements for truckers is just a smokescreen 
. What about all the other states with lax enforcement? Shouldn't they be held to the same standard? 
. It's time for the state and federal governments to have a more nuanced conversation about immigration reform 
And btw $160 million is a lot of cash, can you imagine if they just pulled that out of California's budget? 
I mean i get it federal gov's gotta keep rules straight but threatening to pull 160m from cali is just cold 
like what's the point of all that funding if they're not gonna use it for actual infrastructure or something? 
and can we pls stop stigmatizing ppl just cuz they dont have papers? its not like they're driving around willy nilly or somethin 
2 yrs ago i was in cali visiting my fam and took a bus ride to napa valley - that driver was from mexico and didnt speak english at all 
Plus, isn't that whole "crackdown on lax enforcement" thing just a fancy way of saying "let's go after people who are already struggling"? 
... like what even is the point of all this? California's just trying to be a sanctuary for its people, you know? They're not forcing anyone to get these licenses, but nope, the Feds are still going on and on about it 
california is like "hey, we got this" and they're still getting threatened with funds being pulled 
