En esta noticia
The federal Government is moving ahead with restrictions on commercial driver’s licenses for those who cannot prove legal immigration status.
A rule promoted 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 non-domiciled commercial licenses (non-domiciled CDL), granted to noncitizen temporary residents. These permits were designed to expire along with each driver’s immigration status.
The states’ response has been uneven. Oregon went beyond what was required and suspended all CDL issuance for noncitizens. California, on the other hand, faces a court lawsuit that for now prevents mass revocation.
What the new federal rule says about commercial licenses
On February 13, the FMCSA and the Department of Transportation issued a directive requiring states to grant commercial licenses only to those with “verifiable employment-based immigration status”. The deadline to comply expired on March 16.
The measure is part of a broader Trump immigration policy that called for approving the “Dalilah Act”. That legislation seeks to prohibit any state from issuing commercial licenses to people in an irregular situation.
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 having entered the country irregularly.
What states are doing in response to the suspension of licenses
Oregon applied the rule strictly: it suspended the issuance and renewal of CDL for any noncitizen temporary resident. About 1,400 people in that state have 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 noncitizens. California, in contrast, faces legal action that for now prevents revoking existing permits, which total nearly 20,000.
Who is affected by the restriction?
- Asylum seekers with a valid work permit.
- Recipients of the DACA program.
- Holders of temporary work visas.
- Noncitizen temporary residents in states with broad enforcement, such as Oregon.
What can happen to licenses 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 may 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.