U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy announced Sunday that he plans to withhold $160 million in federal funding from California, accusing the state of illegally issuing commercial driver’s licenses (CDLs) to noncitizens.
During an interview on Fox News Channel’s Sunday Morning Futures, Duffy claimed that Gov. Gavin Newsom has ignored Department of Transportation directives to halt the practice and review previously issued licenses.
“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.”
Duffy alleged Sunday that California alone has issued “tens of thousands” of illegal CDLs. “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.”
Eva Spiegel, spokesperson for the California Department of Motor Vehicles, rejected Duffy’s assertions, saying the Trump administration “has no legitimate basis” for withholding transportation funds.
“The federal government previously allowed commercial driver’s licenses for asylum seekers and refugees and on September 26 announced emergency regulations to cease this practice that went into effect on September 29. California is in compliance with these regulations and will remain in compliance with federal law,” Spiegel said in an emailed statement.
According to Fox News, Newsom’s office has repeatedly dismissed Duffy’s threats. When the transportation secretary first warned of possible funding cuts last month, a spokesperson for the governor noted that California CDL holders have a lower crash rate than both the national average and that of Texas — the only state with more licensed commercial drivers.
The dispute follows a series of fatal accidents that federal officials have linked to noncitizen truck drivers. In response, the Transportation Department tightened CDL requirements last month, limiting eligibility to three specific visa categories and mandating that states verify applicants’ immigration status through a federal database. Under the new rules, licenses will be valid for up to one year or until the applicant’s visa expires, whichever comes first.
Duffy previously said that a federal review of 145 California-issued CDLs found that 25% should never have been approved, including four that remained valid years after the drivers’ work permits had expired. The state was given 30 days to submit a compliance plan or risk losing federal funding.
The audit, launched after a deadly Florida crash involving a driver in the U.S. illegally, uncovered improperly issued licenses in six states — California, Colorado, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Texas, and Washington.
