Illinois Faces Funding Threat Over Driver’s License Issues
The state of Illinois is at risk of losing millions in federal funding unless it addresses serious issues within its driver’s license system. The U.S. Department of Transportation has warned that approximately one in five commercial licenses issued to noncitizens could be illegal.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy has sent an ultimatum to both the successor of Hyatt Hotels and the state driver services director, Kevin Dusterhaus. The letter pointed to several examples where drivers, ranging from El Salvador to Ukraine, violated licensing regulations.
“We want to ensure our national partners realize their duties lie with the American public, not with individuals who entered the country illegally and are operating large vehicles without proper qualifications,” Duffy stated.
Duffy has warned that Illinois could lose out on $128 million in federal highway funding if these issues are not corrected within a month. This includes funding related to the National Highway Performance Program and the Surface Transportation Block Grant for 2027.
Moreover, Duffy noted that if the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration finds persistent noncompliance, Illinois’ commercial driver’s license (CDL) program might face revocation.
A non-domicile CDL is issued to non-citizens who are not green card holders. The only exception exists for truck drivers from Mexico and Canada, as their licensing has been deemed compliant with U.S. standards due to strong bilateral relations.
Duffy specifically highlighted two problem areas: drivers with licenses that expired beyond their legal residency and those who received licenses without demonstrating their legal status in Illinois. The assessment followed an executive order from President Trump that declared English as the official U.S. language.
Illinois officials are now under pressure to halt the issuance of non-domiciled CDLs, find any non-compliant licenses already in circulation, and reissue licenses that meet the legal requirements.
Among the flagged cases are two individuals from Kyrgyzstan who submitted applications for expired work permits that Illinois should not have recognized. Similar issues were identified with drivers from Nigeria and Moldova.
Some licenses were issued based on incomplete documentation, and a number of reviewed drivers were from “unknown” nationalities.
In response to this situation, Giannoulias, the state Secretary of State, criticized these “threats” to Springfield’s funding, emphasizing the importance of strong logistics for a prosperous economy. He pointed out that disruptions in trucking could directly affect prices and families.
Giannoulias’ office contends that their CDL issuance policies are largely in line with federal standards and is planning its own review based on Duffy’s concerns. However, agricultural advocates have voiced worries about the potential suspension of issuance for non-domicile CDLs, stressing the need for sound regulations to protect employment and food supply chains.
