U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy speaks subsequent to Vice President JD Vance outdoor the White Area in Washington, Oct. 30, 2025.
Jacquelyn Martin/AP
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Jacquelyn Martin/AP
California plans to revoke 17,000 business driving force’s licenses given to immigrants after finding the expiration dates went previous when the drivers had been legally allowed to be within the U.S., state officers stated Wednesday.
The announcement follows harsh grievance from the Trump management about California and different states granting licenses to other folks within the nation illegally. The problem was once thrust into the general public’s awareness in August, when a tractor-trailer driving force no longer licensed to be within the U.S. made an unlawful U-turn and brought about a crash in Florida that killed 3 other folks.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy stated Wednesday that California’s motion to revoke those licenses is an admission that the state acted improperly even supposing it prior to now defended its licensing requirements. California introduced its evaluation of business driving force’s licenses it issued after Duffy raised considerations.
“After weeks of saying they did not anything mistaken, Gavin Newsom and California were stuck red-handed. Now that we now have uncovered their lies, 17,000 illegally issued trucking licenses are being revoked,” Duffy stated, regarding the state’s governor. “That is simply the top of iceberg. My crew will proceed to drive California to turn out they’ve got rid of each and every unlawful immigrant from at the back of the wheel of semitrucks and faculty buses.”
Newsom’s administrative center stated that each and every one of the crucial drivers whose license is being revoked had legitimate paintings authorizations from the government. In the beginning, his administrative center declined to reveal the precise reason why for revoking the licenses, announcing best they violated state regulation. Later, his administrative center published the state regulation it was once regarding was once one who calls for the licenses expire on or ahead of an individual’s criminal standing to be within the United State ends, as reported to the DMV.
Nonetheless, Newsom’s spokesperson Brandon Richards shot again at Duffy in a commentary.
“As soon as once more, the Sean ‘Street Regulations’ Duffy fails to proportion the reality — spreading simply disproven falsehoods in a tragic and determined try to please his pricey chief,” Richards stated.
Deadly truck crashes in Texas and Alabama previous this 12 months additionally spotlight questions on those licenses. A fiery California crash that killed 3 other folks ultimate month concerned a truck driving force within the nation illegally, best including to the worries.
Duffy prior to now imposed new restrictions on which immigrants can qualify for business driving force’s licenses. He stated previous this autumn that California and 5 different states had improperly issued business driving force’s licenses to noncitizens, however California is the one state Duffy has taken motion towards as it was once the primary one the place an audit was once finished. The evaluations within the different states were behind schedule by way of the federal government shutdown, however the Transportation Division is urging they all to tighten their requirements.
Duffy revoked $40 million in federal investment as a result of he stated California is not implementing English language necessities for truckers, and he reiterated Wednesday that he’s going to take every other $160 million from the state over those improperly issued licenses if they do not invalidate each and every unlawful license and deal with the entire considerations. However revoking those licenses is a part of the state’s effort to conform.
The brand new laws for business driving force’s licenses that Duffy introduced in September make getting them extraordinarily arduous for immigrants as a result of best 3 particular categories of visa holders might be eligible. States may also have to ensure an applicant’s immigration standing in a federal database. The licenses might be legitimate for as much as 12 months except the applicant’s visa expires faster.
Underneath the brand new laws, best 10,000 of the 200,000 noncitizens who’ve business licenses would qualify for them, which might best be to be had to drivers who’ve an H-2a, H-2b or E-2 visa. H-2a is for brief agricultural employees whilst H-2b is for brief nonagricultural employees, and E-2 is for individuals who make considerable investments in a U.S. industry. However the laws may not be enforced retroactively, so the ones 190,000 drivers might be allowed to stay their business licenses a minimum of till they arrive up for renewal.
The ones new necessities weren’t in position on the time the 17,000 California licenses had been issued. However the ones drivers got notices that their licenses will expire in 60 days.
Duffy stated in September that investigators discovered that one quarter of the 145 licenses they reviewed in California wouldn’t have been issued. He cited 4 California licenses that remained legitimate after the driving force’s paintings allow expired — every so often years after.
Newsom’s administrative center stated the state adopted steerage it gained from the U.S. Division of Native land Safety about issuing those licenses to noncitizens.
