Transportation secretary threatens to take $160 million from California over commercial driver’s licenses for noncitizen truckers

In an appearance on Fox News’ “Sunday Morning Futures,” Duffy said Gov. Gavin Newsom has refused to comply with Department of Transportation rules that require the state to stop issuing such licenses and review those that have already been issued.

“So, I’m about to pull $160 million out of California,” Duffy said. “As we withdraw more money, we also have the option of withdrawing California’s ability to issue commercial driver’s licenses.”

A spokesman for Newsom referred a request for comment to the state transportation agency, which did not immediately respond Sunday.

California has defended its practices in the past. When Duffy threatened to withdraw the money last month, a spokesman for Newsom dismissed the attack and pointed out that CDL holders from California have a much lower accident rate than the national average and Texas, the only state with more licensed commercial drivers.

Last month, the Department of Transportation tightened commercial driver’s license requirements for noncitizens after three fatal crashes that officials said were caused by immigrant truck drivers. Only three specific categories of visa holders will be eligible for CDLs under the new rules and states must verify an applicant’s immigration status in a federal database. The licenses will be valid for up to one year unless the applicant’s visa expires sooner.

Duffy said last month that California should never have issued 25% of the 145 licenses reviewed by investigators. He cited four California licenses that remained valid after a driver’s work permit expired — sometimes years later. The state had 30 days to come up with a plan to comply or lose funding.

A nationwide commercial driver’s license audit has begun after officials said a driver in the country illegally made a U-turn and caused a crash in Florida that killed three people. It found incorrectly issued licenses in California, Colorado, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Texas and Washington.

California has illegally issued tens of thousands of such licenses to noncitizens, Duffy said Sunday.

“So you have 60,000 people on the roads who shouldn’t have licenses,” Duffy said. “They drive fuel tankers, they drive school buses, and we’ve seen some crashes on American roads that come from these people who shouldn’t have these licenses.”

Duffy said earlier this month that he would withhold $40 million from California because it is the only state that fails to impose English language requirements on truck drivers. California defended its practices in a formal response to the Department of Transportation, but federal officials were not satisfied.

The investigation, which began after the Florida incident, found what Duffy described as major failures in the way California implemented rules that took effect in June after one of president Donald Trump’s executive orders. California issued the driver a commercial license, but these English rules were in place before the accident.