California will lose an additional $160 million in federal funding following the decision to delay the revocation of commercial driver's licenses issued to 17,000 immigrant truck drivers. The federal government announced this after concerns arose regarding the compliance of California's regulations with federal standards.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy previously withheld $40 million in funding, citing California's failure to enforce English language proficiency requirements for commercial truckers. The situation escalated when California announced it would postpone license revocations until March, responding to a lawsuit from immigrant groups stating that the initial revocation might disproportionately target specific communities.
Duffy emphasized the need for compliance, stating, Our demands were simple: revoke the unlawfully issued licenses and fix the system to prevent this from happening again. He called out Governor Gavin Newsom for prioritizing the needs of unlawfully residing immigrants over national safety concerns.
Federal audits revealed that a significant number of licenses remained valid despite the expiration of necessary immigrant visas. This issue gained particular prominence after an unauthorized immigrant truck driver caused a tragic accident in Florida that killed three people.
California's delay in addressing the flawed licenses resulted in Duffy denouncing their actions, while federal officials signaled that further non-compliance would lead to strict repercussions. The tension highlights the ongoing debate over immigrant rights and safety regulations within the trucking industry.
As the federal government aims for a more stringent regulatory framework, concerns continue to grow about the safety of licensed immigrant drivers as well as the broader implications for the trucking workforce, where immigrants constitute a significant percentage.
