MUST READ: Trump DOT Forces States To Revoke 28,000 Improper…

The Trump administration has scored a major victory for highway safety and American workers, announcing that states have been forced to revoke more than 28,000 commercial driver’s licenses that were improperly issued to foreign nationals, including individuals who were in the country illegally. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy unveiled the milestone as part of the administration’s sweeping effort to restore integrity to America’s commercial licensing system after years of what he has described as lax enforcement and regulatory failures.

The scope of the cleanup is significant. More than 28,000 non-domiciled commercial driver’s licenses, credentials intended only for foreign nationals who meet strict federal eligibility requirements, have already been canceled after a Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration audit found they had been issued in violation of federal law. The revocations account for roughly 14 percent of the nation’s 194,000 non-domiciled CDL holders, with thousands more expected to leave the trucking industry as tougher federal eligibility standards take effect.

The problem did not emerge overnight. It took a comprehensive FMCSA audit launched last June to expose widespread violations across the country. Federal investigators found that more than 30 states had issued non-domiciled commercial driver’s licenses in ways that failed to comply with federal regulations, allowing individuals to obtain credentials they were never legally entitled to receive. Twenty-six states ultimately received formal enforcement actions after the audit uncovered the violations.

California became one of the most glaring examples. After initially insisting its licensing practices complied with federal law, the state ultimately acknowledged the violations and began revoking approximately 17,000 improperly issued commercial driver’s licenses. Secretary Duffy said California had been “caught red-handed” after defending a system that federal investigators determined was operating outside established legal requirements. He pledged to continue pressing the state until every improperly issued license had been removed from circulation.

Other states moved quickly once the violations were identified. Indiana revoked roughly 1,800 commercial driver’s licenses issued to non-citizens who lacked the legal status required to hold them. Oregon also tightened its policies after a deadly crash involving a commercial truck driver operating under a temporary California-issued license. Immigration and Customs Enforcement later sought to detain the driver after determining he had entered the United States illegally. In response, Oregon halted the issuance and renewal of commercial driver’s licenses for temporary non-citizen residents.

For the Trump administration, the issue is ultimately about protecting American lives. According to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, at least 17 fatal crashes involving illegal immigrants operating commercial trucks occurred in 2025, claiming 30 lives. Those tragedies reinforced the administration’s position that commercial drivers must meet every legal qualification before being entrusted with vehicles weighing up to 80,000 pounds on America’s highways.

One of those qualifications is the ability to speak and understand English. Federal regulations require commercial drivers to read highway signs, communicate with law enforcement, understand safety instructions, and complete inspections in English. Secretary Duffy has said the administration has already removed more than 24,000 drivers from service after determining they failed to meet those requirements, restoring a longstanding safety standard that had largely gone unenforced in recent years. President Trump has repeatedly highlighted the enforcement effort, saying his administration removed more than 24,000 non-English-speaking commercial drivers from American roads while also forcing states to revoke 28,000 improperly issued licenses.

The broader trends help explain why federal officials believe stronger oversight became necessary. According to the National Immigration Forum, the number of foreign-born commercial drivers in the United States more than doubled between 2000 and 2021, increasing from roughly 316,000 to approximately 720,000. The Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates that foreign-born workers now account for about 18 percent of the nation’s commercial driving workforce. Administration officials argue that such rapid growth made rigorous enforcement of licensing laws even more important to ensure every driver met the same legal and safety standards.

The crackdown has expanded beyond licensing. In July, the Department of Transportation partnered with the Department of Homeland Security to investigate fraudulent commercial driver training programs across the country. Federal officials identified roughly 75 entry-level driving schools suspected of falsifying training records, improperly certifying students, or failing to provide the instruction required under federal law. Nearly 10,000 training providers have since been removed from the Department of Transportation’s Training Provider Registry as regulators work to eliminate fraud from every stage of the commercial licensing process.

Administration officials have consistently asserted the effort as both a public safety initiative and a jobs program for American workers. As unqualified and illegally licensed drivers leave the industry, the administration has launched a parallel initiative to recruit military veterans into commercial trucking careers. Working with the Departments of Transportation, Labor, Veterans Affairs, and Defense, the program is designed to strengthen the nation’s supply chain while creating new employment opportunities for veterans transitioning into civilian life.

President Trump has also thrown his support behind the proposed Dalilah Act, legislation that would permanently prohibit states from issuing commercial driver’s licenses to individuals who lack legal immigration status. Supporters argue the measure would establish a uniform national standard and prevent states from circumventing federal immigration and licensing laws.

At its core, the administration’s enforcement campaign is about restoring confidence in a licensing system that federal investigators concluded had been weakened by years of inconsistent oversight. Operating an 80,000-pound commercial vehicle is a tremendous responsibility, and the administration maintains that every driver, regardless of background, must meet the same legal qualifications, safety standards, and English proficiency requirements before taking the wheel.

California’s reversal underscores that point. State officials initially defended their licensing practices, but after federal scrutiny intensified, California moved to revoke approximately 17,000 commercial driver’s licenses that had been improperly issued. For administration officials, the reversal served as confirmation that federal oversight was necessary to restore compliance with existing law.

The trucking industry has largely welcomed the effort to strengthen licensing standards, even while acknowledging the challenge of replacing thousands of drivers in the short term. Industry leaders have long cited a shortage of qualified American truck drivers, and the administration believes its veteran recruitment initiative offers a path to fill those positions with properly trained, legally qualified workers while reinforcing safety across the nation’s highways.