A growing dispute has emerged between U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy and California Governor Gavin Newsom’s office over the state’s issuance of commercial driver’s licenses (CDLs) to noncitizens.
Over the weekend, Secretary Duffy warned that he is prepared to follow through on a threat to revoke $160 million in federal transportation funding from California, alleging that the state is illegally issuing CDLs to noncitizens.
In addition to the funding threat, Duffy suggested he may consider suspending California’s authority to issue CDLs altogether.
According to Duffy, federal investigators recently reviewed 145 CDL records and found that about 25% should never have been issued. He also claimed that some licenses remained valid even after the drivers’ work permits had expired — in some cases, for years. The state was given 30 days to submit a compliance plan or risk losing federal funds.
This escalating conflict follows a tragic eight-vehicle crash in Ontario, California, last Tuesday, where a 21-year-old driver under the influence of drugs killed three people and injured four others. That driver had reportedly entered the U.S. illegally in 2022.
Duffy stated that the crash might have been prevented if California had complied with federal CDL rules.
Governor Newsom’s office responded that the federal government had approved the driver’s employment authorization multiple times, which made him eligible for a CDL under existing federal law.
One thing is clear: this controversy is far from over.
