California will lose an additional $160 million for delaying the revocations of 17,000 commercial driver’s licenses for immigrants, federal transportation officials announced. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy had already withheld $40 million in federal funding, citing California's failure to enforce English proficiency requirements for truck drivers.
The issue came to light after a federal audit highlighted that many licenses issued to immigrant drivers remained valid long after their visas expired. California had previously notified these drivers in the fall about the impending license revocations.
However, the state postponed these revocations until March, following a lawsuit from immigrant groups that argued the changes unfairly targeted specific communities. Duffy expressed concern that California was neglecting to prioritize public safety over the needs of illegal immigrants.
In light of these developments, California Governor Gavin Newsom's office has yet to provide a response regarding the recent federal announcements.
Since July, the federal government initiated stricter measures, especially after a tragic accident in Florida involving a truck driven by an unauthorized immigrant resulted in multiple fatalities. Following this incident, Duffy threatened further federal funding cuts to not only California but several other states with similar licensing issues, insisting that all unlawful licenses must be revoked.
While immigrant truck drivers represent a significant portion of the workforce, the current regulations under scrutiny primarily affect a smaller percentage of commercial licenses. The Transportation Department is also proposing stricter rules that would limit licensing for noncitizens, although judicial actions have temporarily suspended these proposals.
