U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy warned Sunday that he is about to make good on a threat to revoke millions in federal funds from California. The reason: he alleges the state is illegally issuing commercial driver’s licenses (CDLs) to noncitizens.
In a recent appearance, Duffy stated that California Governor Gavin Newsom has refused to comply with U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) rules. These rules require the state to stop issuing such licenses and to review those that have already been issued.
“So, one, I’m about to pull $160 million from California,” Duffy said. “And, as we pull more money, we also have the option of pulling California’s ability to issue commercial driver’s licenses.”
Newsom’s press office did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment on the matter Sunday. However, California has previously defended its practices. When Duffy initially threatened to revoke funds last month, a spokesperson for Newsom dismissed the attack and noted that CDL holders from California have a significantly lower rate of crashes than both the national average and the Texas average. Texas is currently the only state with more licensed commercial drivers than California.
Last month, the Transportation Department tightened commercial driver’s license requirements for noncitizens in response to three fatal crashes linked to immigrant truck drivers. Under the new rules, only three specific classes of visa holders will be eligible for CDLs. Additionally, states must verify an applicant’s immigration status using a federal database. The licenses issued under these rules will be valid for up to one year unless the applicant’s visa expires sooner.
Duffy also pointed out that California should never have issued 25% of the 145 licenses investigators reviewed. He cited cases where four California licenses remained valid even after the driver’s work permit had expired, sometimes for years. The state was given 30 days to develop a plan to comply or face loss of funding.
The nationwide commercial driver’s license audit began after a driver in the country illegally made a U-turn and caused a crash in Florida that resulted in three deaths. The investigation uncovered improperly issued licenses not only in California but also in Colorado, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Texas, and Washington.
On Sunday, Duffy stated that California has unlawfully issued tens of thousands of these licenses to noncitizens. “So you have 60,000 people on the roads who shouldn’t have licenses,” he said. “They’re driving fuel tankers, they’re driving school buses, and we have seen some of the crashes on American roadways that come from these people who shouldn’t have these licenses.”
Earlier this month, Duffy announced he would withhold $40 million from California because it is the only state failing to enforce English language requirements for truckers. California responded formally to the Transportation Department defending its practices, but federal officials remain unsatisfied.
The investigation, launched following the Florida crash, revealed what Duffy called significant failures in California’s enforcement of rules that took effect in June, following an executive order by former President Donald Trump. Notably, California had issued a commercial license to the driver involved in the crash, despite the English language requirements pre-dating the incident.
https://wtop.com/national/2025/10/transportation-secretary-says-hell-pull-160m-from-california-over-noncitizen-truck-licenses/