Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy has spent the past year pulling apart a commercial licensing system that was apparently far easier to game than Americans had been told.
NOW: Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy sounds the alarm on massive safety loopholes left by the Biden administration, revealing how unvetted illegal immigrants were allowed to operate big rigs across America.
— Fox News (@FoxNews) August 31, 2026
"The last administration let millions of illegals into the… pic.twitter.com/d3gxAwYKEi
Sanctuary states issued licenses to the illegal alien truck drivers. The Trump administration has been engaging in a crackdown on illegal aliens who don’t speak English in the trucking profession, opening up thousands of jobs for Americans. While the Trump administration has imposed an English language proficiency requirement on truckers, some states and companies have ignored the rule, necessitating federal arrests.
PJ Media teammate Catherine Salgado's piece highlights the actions taken to save American lives:
In the earlier part of August, federal officers arrested 95 illegal alien truck drivers in Arizona.
Sanctuary states issued licenses to the noncitizen truck drivers. The Trump administration has been engaging in a crackdown on illegal aliens who don’t speak English in the trucking profession, opening up thousands of jobs for Americans. While the Trump administration has imposed an English language proficiency requirement on truckers, some states and companies have ignored the rule, necessitating federal arrests.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy emphasized that because the Biden administration allowed in so many illegal aliens without vetting them, many of the noncitizen truck drivers were getting jobs without the federal government having any easy way to go back and find their potential criminal records in their countries of origin. That has slowed down the process of accountability.
FIRST ON FOX: Federal agencies arrested 95 illegal alien truck drivers earlier this month in Arizona, striking at the heart of human and drug smuggling operations at the U.S. southern border.
— Fox News (@FoxNews) August 31, 2026
Customs and Border Protection said all 95 drivers had acquired state-issued commercial… pic.twitter.com/dfUo2OBb96
Monday brought another ugly discovery: more than 110 commercial-driver training providers are being kicked out of the federal registry after repeatedly certifying drivers who later failed English-proficiency requirements.
Another 160-plus schools received proposed removal notices after nearly 400 investigations in 40 states uncovered unlicensed instructors, missing records, inadequate training areas, and other violations.
One provider claimed its classroom was inside a school bus parked in the back of a trailer. Drivers certified by those 160-plus providers have been linked to 239 commercial vehicle fatalities, although federal officials haven't claimed the schools caused every death.
From the U.S. Department of Transportation:
Building on Vice President Vance’s agenda to root out fraud across the country, the coalition announced the Joint Task Force Crossroads of America–a multi-state partnership to secure our highways and strengthen border security. Partnering across federal, state, and local agencies, the Task Force will target criminal networks and fraud to reduce highway fatalities and protect Americans.
Actions Include:
USDOT
- Emergency removal of 110 commercial driver’s license (CDL) schools associated with more than 5,000 drivers who failed English language proficiency tests
- Launching a nationwide audit of third-party CDL skills testers and states’ oversight of the testers
- Results from 40-state investigation of additional training schools
DHS
- Synchronized single-day sweep targeting more than 200 training schools across 23 states
- Joint coordination with USDOT
- HSI and ICE updates on ongoing investigations targeting CDL-related businesses and schools
DOJ
- Formation of Joint Task Force Crossroads of America to safeguard the nation’s highway system and strengthen the security of our borders.
This unprecedented interagency campaign represents the Trump Administration's most aggressive effort in history to root out fraud, waste, and abuse in trucking. By aligning USDOT’s regulatory authorities with federal law enforcement operations, the administration is taking aggressive action to safeguard American roads against unqualified and unvetted illegal truckers.
More than 28,000 commercial drivers have now been placed out of service for failing English-language requirements since June 2025. Federal officials also say states have been forced to cancel more than 30,000 improperly issued licenses to foreign drivers, while over 8,000 unqualified training providers have been removed from the registry.
President Donald Trump ordered the federal government in April 2025 to enforce a long-standing rule requiring commercial drivers to understand road signs, communicate with law enforcement, and speak and read enough English to operate safely.
Gov. Gavin Newsom's (D-Calif.) state became an early example of what Duffy was fighting. Federal investigators found California, Washington, and New Mexico failing to enforce the English requirement.
During the period examined, California recorded roughly 34,000 commercial inspections with at least one violation. Only one resulted in a driver being placed out of service for an English violation.
Worse, at least 23 drivers who had already documented English-proficiency out-of-service violations elsewhere were later inspected in California without those orders being enforced. Washington and New Mexico had problems of their own.
From the FMCSA site:
An investigation by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration found significant failures by all three states to follow federal guidelines to properly place drivers out-of-service for ELP violations. From June 25 to August 21:
- California – California has failed to adopt and enforce compatible ELP laws and regulations. From June 25, 2025 through August 21, 2025, of the roughly 34,000 inspections resulting in at least one reported violation, only one inspection involved an ELP violation resulting in a driver being placed out of service. Notably, at least 23 drivers with documented ELP out-of-service violations in other states were later inspected in California – yet the state failed to honor those violations or enforce ELP, allowing unqualified drivers to continue operating on our roads.
- Washington – Washington has adopted the ELP regulation but is failing to enforce it. From June 25, 2025 through August 21, 2025, of the more than 6,000 inspections resulting in at least one reported violation, only four inspections involved an ELP violation resulting in a driver being placed out of service. Moreover, two inspections resulted in ELP citations but the driver was not placed out-of-service—contrary to Federal requirements. In addition, at least 4 drivers with documented ELP out-of-service violations in other states were later inspected in Washington – yet the state failed to honor those violations or enforce ELP, undermining federal safety standards and leaving dangerous gaps in enforcement.
- New Mexico – New Mexico has adopted the ELP regulation but is failing to enforce it. From June 25, 2025 through August 21, 2025 the state reported placing zero drivers out-of-service for ELP violations and allowed at least seven unqualified drivers already found unable to meet ELP standards to keep driving and endangering the lives of others.
In May, Secretary Duffy signed an order announcing new guidance to enforce English proficiency requirement for truckers.
In June, Secretary Duffy announced and unveiled a package of new initiatives, pilot programs, and regulatory updates designed to improve the lives of America’s truck drivers.
California resisted until Washington withheld more than $40 million in federal safety funding. The state finally began enforcing the English requirement in January 2026.
Then came another fight.
New York Attorney General Letitia James and a coalition of states sued this month to block the Trump administration from obtaining information from a database covering roughly 17 million commercial drivers.
From the office of Leticia James:
Attorney General James and the coalition argue that the federal government has no legal authority to seize states' confidential driver records and is forcing states to choose between protecting drivers' privacy and preserving the system they rely on to issue CDLs. The coalition is asking the court to immediately block the administration's unlawful data demands and preserve the funding needed to keep the system operating.
"The Trump administration is attempting to seize confidential state records without any lawful justification," said Attorney General James. "New Yorkers provide their personal information to the state with the expectation that it will be protected, not handed over to anyone who demands it."
For nearly 40 years, states have relied on the Commercial Driver's License Information System (CDLIS) to ensure commercial drivers are properly licensed and qualified to operate commercial vehicles. States use CDLIS to determine whether applicants already hold a CDL in another state or have been disqualified for unsafe driving, helping keep dangerous drivers off the road. The database is owned by the states and operated by the American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators (AAMVA).
On July 23, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), an administration of DOT, demanded that AAMVA turn over the entire CDLIS database – 17 million records, including Social Security numbers, dating back five years – despite never having sought access to the database before. When AAMVA raised concerns about its legal obligations, FMCSA threatened to terminate all of AAMVA's federal grants and contracts unless it complied. AAMVA has indicated that without legal intervention, it intends to turn over the records on August 17 to avoid losing the funding necessary to keep CDLIS operating. On August 11, AAMVA received a subpoena from DHS also demanding access to the CDLIS database.
In New York, the consequences of cutting off funding to operate CDLIS would be severe. The New York State Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) uses CDLIS to check applicants’ identity, medical fitness, and driving history in other states before issuing or renewing every license. New York queries the system approximately 30,000 times each day and has relied on it since 1989. Without a functioning CDLIS, New York’s ability to administer its CDL program in compliance with federal law would be disrupted, affecting nearly 20,000 commercial learner's permit holders and approximately 500,000 CDL holders, undermining traffic safety, and worsening existing commercial driver shortages.
The requested material includes names, birth dates, and Social Security numbers. James argued the federal demand exceeds authority and threatens driver privacy. A federal judge temporarily blocked the transfer while the case continues.
While the courts settle the legal question, Americans can judge the political priorities themselves.
While Duffy was finding questionable licenses, drivers who couldn't pass English tests, deficient training schools, and suspected testers, left-leaning state governments repeatedly chose resistance.
California wouldn't enforce the English rule until federal money disappeared. State officials fought federal access to licensing information. Now Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin, Duffy, and federal prosecutors are investigating CDL fraud, unauthorized employment, identity fraud, shell companies, money laundering, labor exploitation, and possible connections to human smuggling and drug trafficking.
“The safety of American roadways affects everyone across the country,” said Attorney General Todd Blanche. “Foreigners and illegal aliens have exploited America’s trucking industry, often putting unqualified, improperly trained, non-English speaking drivers on our highways. Some may be hauling drugs or weapons for international crimes networks. The drivers and companies that allow for this dangerous activity will no longer get a pass. The Department of Justice is proud to join federal, state, and local partners in Joint Task Force Crossroads for America to dismantle the fraud schemes harming American truckers, drivers and community safety. Together, we will prosecute culprits, and protect America’s roads.”
“USDOT has spent the last year-and-a-half strengthening the rules of the road and removing dangerous foreign drivers from our trucking industry,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy. “To fully root out the scourge of fraud, hold criminals accountable, and restore safety, we need the support of federal law enforcement. I am so grateful for President Trump raising the alarm on this issue, and to Vice President Vance for leading the charge to crack down on fraud nationwide. From states failing to follow the law to shady training schools and illicit companies, together we will tackle every link in the chain.”
“Thanks to the recklessness of sanctuary politicians, there is a growing and alarming trend of illegal aliens being granted commercial driver’s licenses. Many of them don’t speak English or understand the rules of the road, and yet they’re driving among us, endangering our loved ones,” said U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin. “As a result, far too many Americans have lost their lives because an illegal alien was behind the wheel. Under the strong leadership of President Trump, DHS and ICE are delivering on our mission to protect Americans by taking these dangerous threats OFF our roadways and getting them OUT of our country. Additionally, our partnership with the Department of Transportation will help root out CDL fraud so that illegal aliens are no longer able to obtain CDLs and put American lives at risk. The Trump Administration will ALWAYS put the American people first.”
“Here’s a basic concept: Americans have a right to feel safe on the roads their taxes pay for. Unfortunately, the previous administration disagreed and turned a blind eye to criminal enterprises that allowed drivers who couldn’t pass a basic English test to obtain a commercial driver’s license,” said White House Fraud Task Force Executive Director Scott Brady. “That ends today thanks to the leadership of Vice President Vance, who is focused on protecting American lives on our nation’s roadways.”
Nobody has a right to drive an 80,000-pound truck while poorly trained, fraudulently licensed, or unable to understand highway signs. Immigration politics doesn't make the truck lighter or the family in the next lane less vulnerable.
Duffy has reached the schools behind the drivers.
The left can keep fighting the crackdown. Just make sure everyone knows what they're fighting.
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