Duffy Threatens To Withhold $160 Million from California After Deadly Illegal Immigrant Trucker Crashes
U.S. Transport Secretary Sean Duffy has threatened to withhold $160 million in federal funding from California and revoke the state’s authority to issue commercial driver’s licenses (CDLs), citing claims that California is illegally issuing commercial licenses to illegal immigrants.
Secretary Duffy, speaking on Sunday Morning Futures, accused the state of non-compliance with federal regulations. “Gavin Newsom cares more about giving illegals commercial drivers licenses than he does citizens of his own state and the safety of Americans,” Duffy said, adding that his department would “fight tooth and nail” to hold states like California “accountable.”
Allegations of Non-Compliance
The Department of Transportation (DOT) claims that California is the most “egregious” perpetrator of non-compliance. An investigation by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) reportedly found that 25 percent of 145 non-domiciled CDLs reviewed in the state were “improperly issued.”
The DOT asserted that “due to weak oversight, insufficient training, and programming errors,” a large number of non-domiciled CDLs were issued to ineligible drivers, including those whose licenses remained valid after their lawful presence in the U.S. expired.
The Secretary’s threat follows a recent tightening of restrictions by the Transportation Department on issuing commercial licenses to non-citizens, which now mandates the possession of employment-based visas and a federal immigration status check. Emergency regulations to cease the practice of issuing CDLs to asylum seekers and refugees went into effect on September 29.
California’s Response and Compliance Claims
California officials dispute the department’s claims and the legitimacy of the threat to withhold funds.
Eva Spiegel, a spokesperson for the department, stated that the administration “has no legitimate basis” to withhold the funds. She argued that the federal government previously permitted CDLs for asylum seekers and refugees and that the DOT only recently announced the emergency regulations on September 26.
“California is in compliance with these regulations and will remain in compliance with federal law,” Spiegel said in a statement. Governor Gavin Newsom’s office has been contacted for comment.
Nationwide Audit and Safety Concerns
Duffy’s announcement is part of a nationwide FMCSA audit prompted by a series of “horrific, fatal crashes caused by non-domiciled drivers.” One such incident occurred in Florida, where three people were killed after an illegal immigrant driver, who was issued a CDL in California after first obtaining one in Washington, made an illegal U-turn.
The audit has reportedly uncovered improperly issued licenses in other states as well, including Colorado, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Texas, and Washington.
“To every other state around the country – find all improperly issued CDLs and revoke their licenses now,” Secretary Duffy stated. “We owe it to the American people to ensure only lawful, qualified drivers are operating big rigs on our highways.”
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