In brief
The Transportation Department's new rules restricting commercial driver's licenses for immigrants have been halted by a federal court, stating that due process was not followed in their implementation and questioning the safety rationale. The decision comes in light of recent high-profile accidents involving unauthorized drivers. In California, authorities have revoked thousands of licenses issued improperly to immigrants, raising scrutiny over how such licenses are distributed.
The Transportation Department's new restrictions that would severely limit which immigrants can get commercial driver’s licenses to drive a semitrailer truck or bus have been put on hold by a federal appeals court. The court in the District of Columbia ruled Thursday that the rules Transport Secretary Sean Duffy announced in September—a month after a truck driver not authorized to be in the U.S. made an illegal U-turn and caused a crash in Florida that killed three people—cannot be enforced right now. The court said the federal government didn’t follow proper procedure in drafting the rule and failed to “articulate a satisfactory explanation for how the rule would promote safety.” The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s data shows that immigrants with these licenses account for only about 0.2% of all fatal crashes.Duffy has been pressing this issue in California due to the driver in the Florida crash having received a license there, with an audit revealing that many immigrants obtained licenses valid long after their work permits expired. California recently revoked 17,000 such licenses due to these findings.Regarding the court ruling, neither Duffy nor California Governor Gavin Newsom provided immediate comments. Newsom's office stated that the state was following guidance from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security for issuing these licenses to noncitizens.This issue was pushed into the spotlight after numerous fatal trucking accidents involving unauthorized immigrant drivers. Duffy mentioned that tightening these regulations might prevent unqualified drivers from endangering public safety. Under the current proposal, only certain visa holders would qualify for new commercial driver's licenses, limiting access significantly.Amidst these developments, trucking trade groups have expressed support for the new regulations, arguing they are necessary for safety on the roads.
