En esta noticia
The federal Government is moving forward with restricting commercial driver’s licenses for those who cannot prove legal immigration status.
A rule pushed by President Donald Trump requires states to verify immigration status before issuing or renewing these permits. The measure affects truck, bus, and other commercial vehicle drivers across the country.
The regulation targets the so-called commercial licenses for non-domiciled drivers (non-domiciled CDL), granted to temporary non-citizen residents. These permits were designed to expire along with each driver’s immigration status.
The states’ response has been mixed. Oregon went beyond what was required and suspended all CDL issuance for non-citizens. California, by contrast, faces a lawsuit that so far prevents mass revocation.
What the new federal law establishes regarding commercial driver’s licenses
On February 13, the FMCSA and the Department of Transportation issued a directive requiring states to grant commercial licenses only to those who have “verifiable employment-based immigration status”. The deadline to comply expired on March 16.
The measure is part of a broader immigration policy by Trump, who called for the “Dalilah Act” to be approved. That legislation seeks to prohibit any state from issuing commercial licenses to people in irregular status.
The case that prompted the proposal occurred in November in Oregon. A 25-year-old man and his wife died after a collision with a semi-truck driven by Rajinder Kumar, who had a temporary license issued in California. ICE requested his detention for entering the country unlawfully.
Suspension of CDLs by state
Oregon applied the rule strictly: it suspended the issuance and renewal of CDL for any temporary non-citizen resident. About 1,400 people in that state hold valid licenses; they will be able to keep them, but the DMV will not accept new applications.
Indiana directly canceled the 1,800 licenses already issued to non-citizens. California, by contrast, faces legal action that for now prevents revoking the existing permits, which total nearly 20,000.
People affected by the restriction
- Asylum seekers with a valid work permit.
- Recipients of the DACA program.
- Holders of temporary work visas.
- Temporary non-citizen residents in states with broad enforcement, such as Oregon.
What will happen now with the CDLs already issued
The situation varies by state. At the federal level, the rule does not require canceling existing permits, only preventing new issuances. But each state can apply stricter criteria, as happened in Oregon and Indiana.
The debate over the constitutionality of the measure will continue in the courts in the coming weeks. The California case could set a precedent for other states with large populations of drivers with temporary immigration status.