A recent audit by the Department of Transportation (DOT) found that one-third of Minnesota’s non-domicile commercial driver’s licenses (CDLs) were issued unlawfully, as announced by Sean Duffy on Monday.
The review was carried out by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) and was part of the Trump administration’s efforts to target “unqualified noncitizens” perceived as a risk on American roads.
The state has 30 days to revoke the unlawfully issued CDLs or it may lose up to $30.4 million in federal highway funding, according to the department. Officials stated that Minnesota must either “comply with the law or lose your funding.”
Duffy’s statement specifically addressed Governor Tim Walz (D).
Duffy noted, “Our audit uncovers yet another example of foreign nationals using Minnesota services under Governor Walz’s watch. Instead of adhering to the law, the state issued truck driving licenses to unqualified noncitizens, endangering American families. These issues have been eliminated under the Trump administration. The DOT will withhold funding if Minnesota continues to allow this reckless behavior.”
Documents sent to Walz by the FMCSA and Minnesota Public Safety Commissioner Bob Jacobson detailed the audit’s findings, showing that CDLs were awarded to individuals without proper domicile, whose legal presence had expired, or who were otherwise disqualified from obtaining a license.
The DOT is now mandating that Minnesota take corrective actions, such as halting the issuance of non-domicile CDLs and identifying any non-compliant licenses still active.
FMCSA Secretary Derek D. Bars remarked, “Minnesota is defying our rules, plain and simple. Under the Trump administration, states can either meet the standards or deal with the repercussions. Following the law isn’t negotiable.”
This review from Minnesota is part of a nationwide CDL audit initiated by the DOT, following incidents involving foreign truck drivers linked to fatal crashes across multiple states. Reports indicated that the number of foreign commercial truck drivers surged to nearly 250 in November alone.
