Transportation Department tightens rules for non-citizen truck drivers after crashes

In response to several fatal crashes involving non-citizen truck drivers, the United States Transportation Department has implemented stricter requirements for obtaining commercial driver's licenses. In particular, this decision followed multiple accidents in Florida, Texas, and Alabama that raised concerns about public safety. The final straw was a tragic incident in Florida where a truck driver, who was in the country illegally, made a fatal U-turn that resulted in two deaths. This prompted Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy to declare a nationwide audit of commercial driver's licenses held by non-citizens, revealing serious compliance issues in states such as California. California has come under scrutiny for issuing many commercial licenses to non-citizens that did not meet federal guidelines. In a review conducted by federal authorities, it was found that a quarter of the licenses issued to non-citizen drivers in California from June were illegal. Duffy warned that California could face consequences, including the withholding of $160 million in federal highway funds, unless compliance measures are taken promptly. The state has been given 30 days to implement an auditing process to ensure that future licenses adhere to the new requirements. The new regulations will allow only individuals with H-2a, H-2b, or E-2 visas to become licensed commercial drivers, indicating a significant shift in policy. Duffy stated that approximately 190,000 of the 200,000 existing non-citizen holders of commercial licenses should not have been issued these licenses under current federal rules. However, it’s important to note that these regulations are not retroactive, meaning current license holders will not lose their licenses immediately, even if they fall outside the new guidelines. This situation has stirred political discourse, as California's officials defend their license issuance policies by highlighting their own traffic safety records compared to states like Texas. Nevertheless, the Transportation Department's urgency reflects a broader concern regarding safety on American roadways, emphasizing that the rules are necessary to prevent unqualified drivers from operating commercial vehicles. The incidents that led to these new regulations underscore the potential dangers associated with lapses in verifying the qualifications of those obtaining commercial driver’s licenses, generating a call for immediate action to safeguard public safety.