Transportation Secretary Critiques California’s License Issuance Practices
U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy has expressed strong criticism towards California and its Governor, Gavin Newsom, over the state’s decision to issue Commercial Driver’s Licenses (CDLs) to undocumented immigrants. This statement follows a tragic accident involving an illegal driver from India that resulted in three fatalities on Tuesday.
Duffy pointed out that California ignored a federal mandate which called for the revocation of improperly granted non-domiciled CDLs—licenses intended for undocumented individuals and non-permanent residents. He emphasized that, instead of complying, California has enforced stricter guidelines concerning eligibility for certain employment-related visas.
The federal order was enacted after a series of deadly incidents involving non-domiciled drivers.
“We have a system designed to keep families safe on the roads, but that system has been compromised,” Duffy mentioned. “Non-domiciled commercial driver’s licenses are being issued to foreign drivers who are neither U.S. citizens nor lawful permanent residents. This process is fundamentally flawed and poses a danger to public safety—a situation that requires urgent attention,” he added.
Duffy asserts that California’s failure to comply with his directive directly contributed to the deadly crash on Interstate 10 in Ontario.
This crash, involving eight vehicles including four big rigs, took place on Tuesday. A semi-truck driven by 21-year-old Jashanpreet Singh, who was speeding and under the influence of drugs, collided with slower traffic. Singh, who is an undocumented immigrant residing in Yuba City, was arrested on various charges including vehicular manslaughter. He pleaded not guilty in court, facing possible immigration repercussions.
The incident resulted in three deaths and injuries to four others, including Singh and a mechanic on the roadside.
“My thoughts are with the families of the victims. This could have been avoided if Gavin Newsom had adhered to our regulations. California violated the law, leading to three unnecessary deaths and two individuals hospitalized. These people deserve justice,” Duffy remarked.
A recent report by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration found various errors in California’s non-domiciled CDL issuing process. Auditors noted that licenses were granted even after federal work authorizations had lapsed, prompting the Department of Transportation to tighten eligibility requirements.
“The fact is, we set the guidelines for license issuance. Our guidance was issued, yet Gavin Newsom chose to ignore it and allowed an undocumented driver to get a new license. This was entirely his decision, as the state manages licenses,” Duffy explained during a recent interview.
California had issued Singh his CDL on June 27, and despite ongoing concerns from the DOT, he received an upgraded license on October 15.
The DOT has given the state 30 days to rectify its issuance of non-compliant licenses and halt new non-domiciled CDL grants, or else face penalties regarding federal funding.
