Last June, Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier reported on the smashing of an illegal alien driver's license scheme involving "hundreds, if not thousands" of driver's licenses, both commercial and passenger, that were fraudulently issued.
"Information was reported that two DMV employees were compromised and were being financially compensated to provide individuals with driver’s licenses, even though the individuals did not meet statutory requirements to lawfully obtain the license," a press release from the local Sheriff's office reported.
Some states, including California, New York, and Washington, make it easy for illegal aliens to get a commercial driver's license (CDL). An illegal alien in Pennsylvania with ties to a terrorist group was given a CDL. Another illegal immigrant wanted on terrorism charges was caught while driving a semi in Kansas.
Harjinder Singh, a native of India, obtained a CDL and a work permit in California, drove to Florida, and killed three people after making an illegal U-turn. California is one of 19 states that gives CDL licenses to illegal aliens. According to ABC News, the rationale for the practice is that it "lets people work, visit doctors and travel safely."
Tell that to the three people whom Mr. Singh killed, or the three people an illegal alien semi driver killed in a fiery crash in California. That crash and the Florida tragedy spurred Department of Transportation (DOT) Secretary Sean Duffy to force blue states to end the practice of giving CDLs to illegals. In September, he ordered the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) to audit the practices of individual states, to determine the extent of the problem.
Duffy proposed new restrictions in September that would severely limit which noncitizens could get a license to drive a semi or a bus, but a court has put the new rules on hold.
In addition, the Trump administration has been seeking to enforce existing English language requirements for truckers since the summer. As of October, about 9,500 truck drivers have been pulled off the road nationwide for failing to demonstrate English proficiency during traffic stops or inspections.
Duffy threatened to withhold $160 million in highway funds for California unless the state stopped the practice. After some histrionic posturing, California Gov. Gavin Newsom ordered the state to yank the CDLs of 17,000 drivers who were in the country illegally. "That number has since grown to 21,000. So the Transportation Department hasn't pulled that funding," reports ABC.
Duffy has also threatened to withhold $75 million from Pennsylvania unless it stops issuing CDLs to illegal aliens. DOT said that approximately 12,400 noncitizen drivers hold an unexpired commercial learner’s permit or commercial driver’s license that Pennsylvania issued.
The secretary has also said he would withhold $73 million from New York after an audit found nearly half the CDLs issued in the state may have been issued to illegal aliens.
Duffy told a press conference, “What New York does is if an applicant comes in and they have a work authorization — for 30 days, 60 days, one year — New York automatically issues them an eight-year commercial driver’s license. That’s contrary to the law.”
He added, "But we also found that New York many times won’t even verify whether they have a work authorization, they have a visa, or they’re in the country legally."
Duffy issued the warning after the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration examined 200 non-domiciled commercial driver’s licenses (CDLs) issued by the New York Department of Motor Vehicles and found 107 were unlawfully issued.
Currently, approximately 32,000 CDLs issued by the New York DMV are in use across America — despite The Post revealing in September that one migrant applicant didn’t even have to put a first name down to receive the driver’s license.
DOT officials also launched a probe Thursday into whether a Chinese national accused of causing a fatal pileup on a Tennessee highway this week was illegally issued a New York State driver’s license.
"Nearly half of the 123 licenses investigators reviewed in Texas were flawed, so the Transportation Department threatened to withhold $182 million if the state doesn't reform its licensing programs and invalidate any flawed licenses," according to ABC.
The fact that blue state governors such as Gavin Newsom are complaining about this shows that some of them are more concerned about immigration politics than they are about the safety of their citizens on the highways.
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