Indiana Stops Undocumented Drivers with Commercial Licenses

In Indiana, nearly 300 undocumented immigrants with commercial driver’s licenses (CDL) have been reportedly apprehended and prosecuted over the last three months. Governor Mike Braun highlighted this issue during a recent address.

According to Tony Ferraro, an aide to Braun, at least 283 undocumented drivers were found operating trucks at weight stations throughout the state during this 90-day timeframe. He mentioned this development during a meeting with the Northwestern Indiana Regional Planning Commission.

“That’s over three a day that we pulled out of trucks,” Ferraro stated, as reported by the Chicago Tribune. “The bottom line is it was illegal. It was against the law. We prosecuted and took over the enforcement action,” he added.

Although the specifics of the laws broken weren’t detailed, Ferraro noted that many operators held their CDLs from states like California and New York, which don’t explicitly require full U.S. citizenship for issuing these licenses.

Nevertheless, federal regulations demand that all commercial license applicants prove their legal presence in the country and obtain explicit employment authorization. It follows that, under these national compliance standards, no state has the authority to issue a CDL to anyone who is undocumented, regardless of local licensing approaches.

Still, some legal analysts suggest that drivers with valid CDLs from states lacking citizenship prerequisites might still be able to operate commercial vehicles legally. This potential loophole could lead to legal challenges for Indiana. Yet, Governor Braun remains firm in his commitment to road safety and intends to reinforce measures against undocumented commercial drivers on state highways.