California announced on Tuesday that it will delay the revocation of 17,000 commercial driver’s licenses until March. This decision comes a week after immigrant groups filed a lawsuit, allowing truckers and bus drivers who are legally eligible more time to retain their licenses.
This move follows Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy’s push for the state to deny licenses to undocumented immigrants. The issue gained prominence for the Department of Transportation after a tragic incident in Florida involving an unauthorized truck driver, which resulted in three fatalities.
Duffy has yet to comment on the postponement. Meanwhile, California officials are addressing reforms mandated by the federal Department of Transportation.
The state had planned to resume issuing commercial driver’s licenses in mid-December, but the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration blocked that initiative.
“Commercial drivers are vital to our economy. Without them, supply chains falter, and communities can’t stay connected,” DMV Director Steve Gordon stated.
A class action lawsuit was filed by the Sikh Coalition, a national civil rights organization, along with the Asian Law Caucus from San Francisco, on behalf of affected California drivers. They contend that immigrant truck drivers are unfairly singled out. Interestingly, the truck driver involved in the Florida crash and another in a deadly October accident in California were both Sikh.
While immigrants make up about 20% of all truck drivers, only 5% of the commercial driver’s licenses—roughly 200,000 drivers—are eligible for non-regional licenses.
The Department of Transportation has also suggested new regulations to limit non-citizens’ ability to obtain licenses, but these rules are currently suspended by the court.
Mumeeth Kaur, legal director for the Sikh Federation, remarked that the delay is “an important step towards easing the immediate threat these drivers face to their livelihoods and safety.”
Duffy has also indicated he might revoke millions in federal funding from California, Minnesota, and Pennsylvania due to significant issues identified in existing regulations, including the validity of commercial permits for immigrant truck drivers after their work permits expire.
On another note, trucking industry groups are supporting efforts to get unlicensed drivers off the roads, especially those who lack a license or proficiency in English. They have also commended the Department of Transportation’s focus on addressing problematic commercial driver’s license schools.
