Investigation Into CDL Schools for Fraud
The Trump administration has reported that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Department of Transportation (DOT) are collaborating to investigate around 75 commercial driver’s license (CDL) schools suspected of fraudulent activities.
According to a DHS press release, its Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) will team up with the DOT’s Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) and local law enforcement. This partnership aims to tackle concerns about the issuance of non-domiciled CDLs to individuals who may not have legal status in the U.S.
“Too many American lives have been lost in completely avoidable accidents because illegal aliens have been granted commercial driver’s licenses to drive trucks and 18-wheelers on America’s roadways,” commented DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin. He emphasized the need for this collaboration to address CDL fraud and enhance the integrity of the CDL system.
U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy echoed these sentiments, noting that the USDOT has been active in removing problematic entities from the trucking industry. “We’ve already disqualified over 24,000 drivers for failing to speak English and canceled more than 28,000 licenses that were improperly issued,” he stated. Duffy believes the DHS’s involvement will further strengthen these efforts.
The FMCSA suspects that these 75 driving schools might be engaging in fraudulent practices, including issuing improper driver certifications and falsifying training records. Clearly, there’s frustration over this issue, especially as it pertains to public safety.
Moreover, Duffy has directed criticism towards Democratic leaders for allowing non-domiciled CDLs to be granted to illegal aliens, linking it to serious accidents involving these drivers.
One such incident occurred in October, when a major crash in California involved a semi-truck driven by Jashanpreet Singh, a 21-year-old undocumented immigrant. Singh was reportedly speeding and was involved in a tragic collision that resulted in three fatalities and multiple injuries.
“My prayers are with the families of the victims of this tragedy,” Duffy remarked, emphasizing that such an event could have been prevented had laws been followed.
