California Revises Its Stance on Immigrant Truck Drivers, Which Will Displease Trump | Carscoops
Thousands of immigrant truck drivers in the United States have had their licenses restored after a federal enforcement and errors by the California DMV put their jobs and legal work status in jeopardy.
Reports indicate that more than 17,000 drivers in California faced license revocations after increased scrutiny from the Trump administration, following several high-profile fatal accidents. However, just in time for the holiday season, the state is now reversing its decision.
Last month, California's Department of Motor Vehicles began notifying numerous immigrant truck drivers that their licenses would be invalidated by January 6 due to their federal work permits expiring before their state licenses.
The DMV’s decision came after the US Department of Transportation warned it would withhold over $150 million in highway funds from California. The Trump administration's crackdown on immigrant drivers instituted stricter requirements mandating that all commercial vehicle drivers must speak English.
In September, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration issued an emergency rule aimed at excluding asylum seekers, refugees, and other immigrants from being licensed, potentially affecting up to 200,000 individuals with valid US work permits.
Fortunately, the California DMV has begun reissuing licenses it had previously sought to cancel. There has been no indication yet regarding the federal government's reaction, but it seems unlikely they will approve of the reversal.
California has acknowledged that its system's errors breached state law, which requires that a commercial license must expire on or before the expiration of an individual's work permit.
According to the San Francisco Chronicle, many drivers have had their work permits renewed or extended, but these changes have not yet been updated in the DMV’s records or reflected in their commercial licenses. The agency plans to implement measures to ensure that work authorization documents and driver's licenses are aligned.
This development is encouraging news for many truck drivers legally residing and working in the US. One of these drivers, Amarjit Singh, a 41-year-old from India with a work permit valid until 2029, expressed relief, saying he had invested $160,000 in a truck for his job.
“I was so happy; this is a very big relief,” he told KQED News. “It’s great news. It’s going to save my life, and it’s going to save my business.”
Sources: KQED, San Francisco Chronicle | Images Kenworth, Mack, Volvo
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California Revises Its Stance on Immigrant Truck Drivers, Which Will Displease Trump | Carscoops
Thousands of immigrant truck drivers in the US have had their licenses reinstated following a federal enforcement action and mistakes made by the California DMV that jeopardized their employment and legal work status.
