❓WHAT HAPPENED: California announced plans to revoke 17,000 commercial driver’s licenses issued to immigrants after discovering their expiration dates extended beyond the drivers’ legal stay in the U.S.
👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: California officials, U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) Secretary Sean Duffy, and Governor Gavin Newsom (D).
📍WHEN & WHERE: Announced on Wednesday in California, following a review initiated by federal concerns.
💬KEY QUOTE: “After weeks of claiming they did nothing wrong, Gavin Newsom and California have been caught red-handed. Now that we’ve exposed their lies, 17,000 illegally issued trucking licenses are being revoked,” said Sean Duffy.
🎯IMPACT: The revocation follows federal scrutiny and raises broader questions about licensing standards and immigration policy enforcement.
California officials are finally admitting they issued commercial driver’s licenses (CDLs) to illegal immigrants. On Wednesday, state officials announced they will revoke 17,000 CDLs that were granted to immigrants who they now acknowledge remained in the U.S. after the expiration of their legal status.
The decision comes on the heels of heavy criticism from the Trump White House over the Golden State’s issuance of licenses to drivers in the country illegally. U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) Secretary Sean Duffy stated, “After weeks of claiming they did nothing wrong, Gavin Newsom and California have been caught red-handed. Now that we’ve exposed their lies, 17,000 illegally issued trucking licenses are being revoked.” He added that this is “just the tip of the iceberg” and vowed to ensure California removes all unauthorized drivers from operating commercial vehicles.
Democrat Governor Gavin Newsom‘s office initially declined to specify the reason for the revocations but later cited a state law requiring licenses to expire no later than the end of a person’s legal U.S. residency. Newsom’s spokesman, Brandon Richards, pushed back against the Trump administration, accusing Sec. Duffy of spreading “easily disproven falsehoods” in a “desperate attempt to please his dear leader.”
The CDL issue gained national attention after a fatal crash in Florida involving a tractor-trailer driver in the U.S. illegally. Similar incidents in Texas, Alabama, and California have heightened scrutiny of licensing practices. Duffy has already revoked $40 million in federal funding from California and warned of an additional $160 million penalty if the state fails to comply with federal standards.
Under new federal rules announced in September, only specific visa holders will qualify for commercial licenses, and states must verify immigration status through federal databases. These rules, however, were not in place when the 17,000 licenses were issued. California has notified affected drivers that their licenses will expire in 60 days.
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