The U.S. Department of Transportation has reported that California illegally issued thousands of commercial driver’s licenses. In a statement released Wednesday morning, the state Department of Land Transportation acknowledged it had granted 17,000 non-domiciled commercial driver’s licenses (CDLs) to unsafe foreign drivers.
These individuals were informed that their licenses were not compliant with federal standards and would expire in 60 days. The Department of Transportation (DOT) noted that these results stem from an ongoing nationwide audit of non-domiciled CDLs led by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. The investigation identified “systemic policy, procedural, and programmatic errors” in California’s handling of non-domicile CDL licenses.
The audit revealed that over a quarter of the non-domiciled CDL records examined in California were not aligned with federal regulations, with many licenses issued far beyond the alien work permits allowed.
In August, the DOT warned California it might withhold funding if the state did not adhere to English language proficiency requirements for truck drivers. The California Highway Patrol had previously stated it would not suspend commercial drivers for not meeting these standards.
In October, the DOT announced it would cut $40 million in funding from blue states due to these unmet standards. The DOT affirmed that it will persist in urging California to revoke these unlawfully issued non-domicile CDLs and may potentially withhold $160 million in funding for violations.
“After weeks of denying any wrongdoing, Gavin Newsom and California have been caught red-handed. Given their lies have been exposed, 17,000 fraudulently issued truck licenses will be canceled,” said Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy. He added that this is likely just the beginning, stating his team will continue to ensure that California certifies no illegal immigrants are driving commercial vehicles.
Requests for comments from Governor Newsom’s office and the California State Police went unanswered.
