17,000 Immigrants in California May Soon Forfeit Their Commercial Driver's Licenses | Carscoops

17,000 Immigrants in California May Soon Forfeit Their Commercial Driver's Licenses | Carscoops

      California must take action or risk losing $160 million in federal road funding

      9 hours ago

      by Stephen Rivers

      A federal audit revealed that California issued 17,000 commercial driver’s licenses (CDLs) in violation of regulations.

      FMCSA has ordered their revocation and cautioned about the potential $160 million funding loss.

      California disputes these claims but is anticipated to adhere to federal directives.

      Approximately 17,000 individuals in California may face the loss of their commercial driver’s licenses if the government proceeds with its stance. This issue has been brewing quietly and has now erupted into a public dispute regarding the issuance of licenses and the state’s compliance with regulations.

      According to U.S. Secretary of Transportation, Sean Duffy, the state has conceded that these license holders are indeed ineligible. Failure to cancel these licenses could result in a forfeiture of about $160 million in federal funding.

      Eligibility Under Scrutiny

      An audit conducted by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) determined that California’s CDL program improperly issued licenses despite various issues.

      The individuals involved either have questionable legal status in the U.S., their documentation does not meet federal criteria, their license has expired beyond the legally authorized time, or other regulations have been breached. In some situations, the individual remains legally in the U.S., but their CDL has expired since their legal authorization.

      The FMCSA stated that over a quarter of the non-domiciled CDL records sampled from California did not comply with federal standards in some manner.

      Officials have informed the 17,000 affected drivers that their licenses “no longer meet federal requirements” and will expire in 60 days unless reissued in adherence to regulations.

      Furthermore, the federal government has mandated that California officials conduct a comprehensive audit of all non-domiciled CDL credentials to allow the FMCSA to confirm compliance. Essentially, the federal agency intends to ensure that California revokes every non-compliant license within the next 60 days.

      Should California officials fail to provide this audit, the federal government may withhold up to $160 million in highway funding.

      🚨 @CAGovernor and his state were caught red-handed after weeks of claiming they did nothing wrong. Now that we’ve exposed their lies, 17,000 illegally issued trucking licenses are being revoked. This is just the beginning. California must revoke every illegally issued CDL or… https://t.co/wAFy6CnN2A— Secretary Sean Duffy (@SecDuffy) November 12, 2025

      Political Tensions

      “After weeks of asserting they did nothing wrong, Gavin Newsom and California have been caught red-handed. Now that we’ve revealed their dishonesty, 17,000 illegally issued trucking licenses are being revoked,” Duffy stated, referencing the state’s governor.

      “This is merely the beginning. My team will persist in compelling California to ensure every illegal immigrant is removed from operating semitrucks and school buses.”

      Newsom’s office countered by asserting that every license holder in question had valid federal work authorization at the time of issuance. According to NPR, California claims it followed the guidance provided by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

      Brandon Richards, a spokesperson for Newsom, issued a statement indicating, “Once again, Sean ‘Road Rules’ Duffy fails to reveal the truth — spreading easily disproven falsehoods in a desperate attempt to appease his leader.”

      Currently, the affected drivers have approximately two months to regain compliance while they continue to operate.

      Credit: USDOT

17,000 Immigrants in California May Soon Forfeit Their Commercial Driver's Licenses | Carscoops

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17,000 Immigrants in California May Soon Forfeit Their Commercial Driver's Licenses | Carscoops

California must take action now or face the possibility of losing $160 million in federal road funding.