California Governor Gavin Newsom has been compelled to revoke 17,000 commercial driver’s licenses issued to undocumented immigrants following a challenge from Donald Trump’s transportation secretary.

This significant policy reversal was prompted by growing pressure from Sean Duffy, particularly after a tragic incident in October where three people lost their lives in a highway crash allegedly involving an undocumented immigrant.

“After weeks of denying any wrongdoing, Gavin Newsom and California have been caught red-handed,” Duffy stated.

The state has notified those affected that their licenses will expire in 60 days. Duffy hinted that further actions are imminent.

“This is merely the beginning,” Duffy remarked. “My team will ensure California removes all undocumented immigrants from operating semitrucks and school buses.”

Duffy has further warned that he might withhold over $160 million in federal funding from the state.

Newsom’s team originally refused to say why they were revoking the licenses and made a vague mention of merely breaking state law, PBS reported, before admitting that the licenses are supposed to expire when a person’s legal status does.

They had also previously claimed that all of the drivers had their licenses originally authorized by the federal government and that Trump’s White House was to blame. 

Gavin Newsom has been forced to revoke 17,000 commercial driver’s licenses given to illegal migrants after being called out by Donald Trump’s transportation secretary

Newsom made the crucial change amid mounting pressure by Sean Duffy after multiple incidents involving the licenses , including an October crash where three people died in a horrific highway collision allegedly caused by an illegal migrant

‘Once again, the Sean ‘Road Rules’ Duffy fails to share the truth — spreading easily disproven falsehoods in a sad and desperate attempt to please his dear leader,’ spokesperson Brandon Richards said.

The nickname is a reference to Duffy’s tenure on the MTV reality show before eventually becoming a Congressman and transportation secretary.  

Last month, Duffy said he was fed up with Newsom allowing illegal migrants to be granted licenses, and indicated he has plans to penalize him.

‘I’m about to pull $160 million from California and as we pull more money, we also have the option of pulling California’s ability to issue commercial driver’s licenses,’ he told Fox Business. 

The penalty was set to be issued for Newsom’s refusal to comply with an order sent out by Duffy on September 26 which gave him 30 days to get the license situation in order. 

‘Newsom cares more about illegals getting CDLs than he does the citizens of his own state,’ he said at the time.  

It’s unclear if the funding is still in tact now that the state of California has revoked the licenses. 

The Daily Mail has reached out to both the Department of Transportation and the governor’s office for comment.  

Sean Duffy (pictured center) had been mounting pressure on Newsom over the policy after three people died in a horrific highway crash that was allegedly caused by an illegal migrant, including pulling over $160million in federal funding

Newsom’s team originally refused to say why they were revoking the licenses and made a vague mention of merely breaking state law. Eventually, Newsom’s office said that the law broken required licenses expire on or before the end of a person’s legal status to be in the country

Duffy was discussing the Department of Transport’s (DOT) report on a licensed illegal immigrant who is accused of killing three people when he slammed his truck into halted traffic on Tuesday afternoon.

He said that Newsom’s attitude toward requests for review had been completely ignored.  

‘Gavin Newsom has thumbed his nose at us, he has refused to comply with the rules that have come from DOT which is: stop issuing these licenses and go back and review all the licenses that you have issued and make sure its been done legally,’ Duffy said. 

Newsom previously claimed that Duffy is trying to play politics over the incident.

‘This is a tragic situation and as with every tragedy over the last ten months, Secretary [Kristi] Noem has ordered Secretary Duffy to look for every opportunity to manipulate the facts to score cheap political points, but the FEDERAL government needs to look within before they cast blame outside.’ 

He instead blamed the federal government for having ‘approved and renewed this individual’s FEDERAL employment authorization multiple times – which allowed him to obtain a commercial driver’s license in accordance with FEDERAL law.’

Police have identified the driver in the tragedy as 21-year-old Jashanpreet Singh from Yuba City, California. 

He was arrested at the scene for being under the influence of drugs and vehicular manslaughter, according to KTLA.

Duffy was discussing the DOT’s report on licensed illegal immigrant Jashanpreet Singh (pictured), who killed three people when he slammed his truck into traffic last month

One of the cars burst into a fireball following the impact, which sent debris flying

Three people, including a Pomona High School basketball coach and his wife, died. 

Four others were taken to local hospitals to be treated for their injuries. 

Singh is an undocumented immigrant from India who was caught and released at the California border in 2022. 

ICE placed a detainer request on Singh, which would allow the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s office to hold him passed the normal release time.

The suspect has been booked into West Valley Detention Center in Rancho Cucamonga to await charges. 

Further scrutiny was brought to these licenses in late October, when a homeowner has shared footage of the carnage left in the wake of a truck driver who performed a desperate U-turn on his residential street.

Footage taken of the appalling act from a home’s security camera showed the electric blue semi-trailer attempting to turn around on the narrow, dead-end road in California. 

The driver was unable to successfully perform the turn without destroying a gate,  while an unlucky neighbor who had been out walking her dog captured images of the truck mutilating her property, which also appeared to tear up some of her lawn.

Further scrutiny was brought to these licenses in late October, when a homeowner has shared footage of the carnage left in the wake of a truck driver who performed a desperate U-turn on his residential street 

The Department of Transportation audited California and also found ‘significant compliance failures’ and that one in four non-domiciled CDLs sampled were issued improperly.

A non-domiciled CDL is a type of license issued to a driver who lives outside the US that allows them to operate a truck within the states legally.

A CDL for a US citizen takes about four to 10 weeks, according to America Truck Driving.

The license grants an individual the ability to drive large vehicles, including but not limited to tanker trucks, buses, and hazardous materials vehicles, depending on the class of license one achieves.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt noted in a conference that the tragedies are following a disturbing pattern of ‘Illegal aliens being issued commercial vehicle licenses, and the DOT would be cracking down on that.’

The fight between Duffy and Newsom is just the latest between the liberal California governor and the Trump administration, as Newsom admitted Sunday morning he has his aims on Donald Trump’s job. 

When asked if he was seriously considering a campaign for the White House, Newsom said: ‘Yeah, I’d be lying otherwise. I’d just be lying. And I can’t do that.’

It’s the clearest indication thus far that the firebrand Democrat, and staunch political enemy of the Trump administration, has his eyes on the Oval Office in 2028. 

Newsom spoke to CBS News last month about his ambitions, but continued to shy away from fully committing himself to the liberal ticket for the next election.

The governor is no stranger to the political spotlight – and has used his voice to heavily critique Trump since his inauguration earlier this year.

Recently, Newsom’s social media team has desperately tried to troll the president by mimicking his online style.