The man running the office that issued noncitizen commercial driver's licenses, Alexi Giannoulias, is under suspicion because federal auditors later flagged those licenses as illegal.
Those findings weren't simple paperwork errors; nearly one in five nonresident CDLs reviewed failed to meet federal standards. The problems included missing lawful presence checks and licenses that stayed valid even after the drivers lost legal status.
Heavy trucks don't forget mistakes; families share highways with vehicles that weigh up to 40 tons. Competence and oversight matter.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy gave Illinois Governor JB Pritzker and Driver Services Director Kevin Duesterhaus 30 days to fix the mess or risk losing $128 million in federal highway funding. The letter he sent wasn't a friendly suggestion; it carried real consequences.
“I need our state partners to understand that they work for the American people, not illegal immigrants who broke the law illegally entering our country and continue to break it by operating massive big rigs without the proper qualifications,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy. “Biden and Buttigieg forced Americans to share their roads with unqualified and unvetted foreign drivers, but the Trump Administration is putting the needs of American families first, where they belong.”
In a letter sent today to Governor JB Pritzker and Illinois Director of Driver Services Kevin Duesterhaus, FMCSA outlined the audit’s findings of how the state illegally issued non-domiciled CDLs to:
- Drivers whose licenses were valid long after their lawful presence in the U.S. expired.
- Drivers without Illinois first verifying the individual’s lawful presence in the U.S.
Federal law sets a standard for commercial drivers for a reason: states don't get to invent their own shortcuts when interstate commerce and public safety sit on the line.
Auditors found that some drivers from El Salvador, Ukraine, Russia, and Venezuela received CDLs after their lawful status had expired or without verification. That's not close to any gray area; federal rules require states to verify legal presence for foreign national CDLs. When Illinois skipped those steps, it didn't just bend the rules; it shattered them.
Giannoulias has positioned himself as a defender of the state’s trucking and logistics industries, arguing that the federal demands are damaging the state’s economy, its truckers, farmers, and others involved in the logistics sector.
“A strong economy depends on strong logistics,” he said in a statement shared with Just the News earlier this week. “If trucks don’t move, supply chains fail, prices rise, and families feel it in their pocketbooks. We can see the actions by the Trump administration taking their toll on our truckers and our farmers, both of whom are essential to Illinois’ economy.”
Now, layer in the money: Giannoulias accepted over $300,000 in campaign donations from trucking and logistics groups between 2021 and 2025. His office regulates the same industry that funded his campaign.
There's no need for a bulletin board covered with pictures, tacks, and string to see the problem.
The crashes happening in the country underline the stakes. In one Illinois crash, Borko Stankovic drove using a suspended CDL that belonged to a family member and was the cause of a fatal head-on crash. In Texas, a 17-vehicle pileup killed five people after a truck driver lost control. In Florida, an Illegal U-turn by a semi ended three lives.
Secretary Duffy also restored enforcement of English proficiency standards for commercial drivers; federal regulations already required drivers to read road signs, understand officers, and respond to emergencies.
Related: Common Sense Returns to America’s Highways
The English requirement forms one part of a larger reform effort; the DOT ordered 557 driving schools to close after they failed basic safety checks. Regulators moved against chameleon carriers that rebranded under new names to dodge enforcement. Some companies paid a small registration fee for years, showed proof of insurance, and operated with little oversight.
Duffy stated that Americans deserve to feel safe when sharing the road with commercial vehicles, a sentiment that cuts across political lines. Every family traveling on an interstate depends on competent professionals in the cab driving next to them.
Giannoulias condemned the federal action, calling the federal threat vindictive, insisting that Illinois followed guidelines. Yet the federal audit showed clear violations.
Hanging in the balance now is federal funding; Chicago politics often features loud defiance followed by quiet correction. Whether that pattern repeats yet again remains to be seen.
The state of Illinois also issues standard driver's licenses to noncitizens regardless of immigration status; in 2024, over 155,000 were issued in five months, in accordance with state law.
Giannoulias reportedly is considering a run for Chicago mayor in 2027, but voters deserve answers before any campaign launches.
- Did donations influence oversight priorities?
- Why did nearly 20% of reviewed licenses fail compliance?
- Who approved the procedures that auditors flagged?
These questions aren't attacks on immigrants; they defend lawful standards.
The "Chicago Way" earned its nickname through decades of patronage and pay-to-play politics. Illinois doesn't need another chapter in that long story. Truck licensing isn't a minor clerical function; it's a critical factor in public safety. Every parent driving home at night is a trained, lawful, and qualified operator behind the wheel of a massive semi-trailer.
The first steps Illinois needs to take are to revoke illegal licenses, complete a transparent audit, and restore compliance. Federal highway money can't fund negligence; if leaders seek a higher office, they need to show they can manage the one they already hold.
There are zero options for accountability, and no negotiations for public safety.
Two choices lie before Illinois leaders: dismiss criticism or fix the problem.
Highways don't care about political pride. Families expect and demand safety; if that expectation feels unreasonable to some, then they're forgetting who the government serves.
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