Federal Government’s Concerns Over New York’s CDL Practices
New York Governor Kathy Hochul is facing allegations from Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy that her administration is breaching federal law by issuing more than 50% of commercial driver’s licenses (CDLs) to immigrants. Duffy made these comments during a press conference in Washington on Friday.
He also warned that the federal government might withdraw $73 million in funding from New York due to alleged dangerous and fraudulent practices associated with the issuance of these licenses.
“What New York State is doing is that if an applicant comes into the country and has a 30-day, 60-day, one-year work permit, New York State will automatically issue an eight-year commercial driver’s license. That’s against the law,” Duffy stated.
Furthermore, Duffy indicated that New York often fails to verify if applicants possess a valid work permit or visa, or whether they are legally in the country. new york post reported on these developments.
He expressed concern that the state is effectively granting long-term commercial driving licenses to individuals who may pose a risk on American roads, potentially endangering families.
The revelations come after an investigation by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, which scrutinized 200 nonresident CDLs issued by the New York State Department of Land Transportation. The findings indicated that 107 tickets were improperly issued to non-citizens.
Previously, there were reports indicating that several CDLs were issued with “name not given” entered in the driver’s name field, as some applicants declined to provide their names.
Duffy pointed out that certain states, including California, do not issue provisional licenses that would limit a driver’s local movements.
“When you get your New York commercial driver’s license, you don’t just drive in New York, you drive all over the country,” he emphasized.
He concluded by stating that safety is the primary concern. A reliable trucking company should make safety a priority and work effectively with shippers to transport goods across the nation.
FMCSA Secretary Derek Bars further urged New York State to conduct an immediate audit of its CDL issuance practices.
