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The Trump administration announced a significant safety overhaul on Wednesday, aimed at preventing unverified foreign nationals from acquiring commercial driver’s licenses. This reform seeks to terminate a system where tens of thousands of drivers with potentially hazardous backgrounds were allowed to legally operate large trucks and buses across the United States. Sean P. Duffy, the Secretary of Transportation, declared that this rule “closes a safety loophole that has caused chaos on our roadways.”
Unveiling the comprehensive new federal regulation, Secretary Duffy highlighted its focus on eliminating the long-standing gap that permitted unqualified foreign nationals to secure commercial driver’s licenses in the U.S. Enacted under President Donald Trump’s directive, the rule prohibits states from issuing licenses to truck and bus drivers whose driving records cannot be verified through consular or interagency checks. Federal authorities assert that this gap has allowed unsafe, unvetted individuals to drive massive commercial vehicles, contributing to a series of lethal accidents across the nation.
“America has tolerated dangerous foreign drivers exploiting our truck licensing systems for too long, creating chaos on our roadways. That ends today,” declared U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy during Wednesday’s announcement. “Going forward, unqualified foreign drivers will be barred from obtaining licenses to operate 80,000-pound big rigs. Under President Trump’s leadership, we are prioritizing the safety of the driving public. By enforcing English language standards and holding fraudulent carriers accountable, we will continue to address this crisis directly.”
Officials from the Department of Transportation (DOT) state that these reforms specifically target safety issues that emerged after a series of fatal crashes involving non-resident CDL truck drivers. The new rule facilitates consular and interagency evaluations to prevent unqualified individuals from acquiring or retaining commercial driving licenses.
The DOT elaborates:
- February 14, 2025: A non-domiciled driver triggered a multi-vehicle crash inside a tunnel on I-80 in Wyoming, resulting in three fatalities and 20 injuries.
- August 12, 2025: A non-domiciled driver caused a crash killing three people on the Florida Turnpike after attempting an illegal U-turn.
- October 21, 2025: A non-domiciled driver failed to stop for traffic on a California highway, causing a collision involving eight vehicles that killed three people.
- December 3, 2025: A non-domiciled driver collided with a train at a marked crossing in Ontario, California, killing a crew member.
“While U.S. drivers undergo rigorous checks through national databases to identify past violations, such as DUIs, reckless driving, or involvement in crashes, states lack access to the driving histories of foreigners and undocumented immigrants,” DOT officials explained. “This loophole allowed individuals with dangerous driving records to secure a trucking license simply by presenting an Employment Authorization Document (EAD), which does not assess transportation safety.”
Key provisions of the final rule published this week include:
- Strict Eligibility: Eligibility is limited to H-2A, H-2B, and E-2 nonimmigrant status holders, who undergo enhanced interagency vetting.
- Elimination of EADs: EADs are no longer accepted as proof of eligibility due to the systemic noncompliance at the SDLAs. Applicants must present an unexpired foreign passport and specific Form I-94 documentation.
- Mandatory SAVE Verification: States must query the Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements (SAVE) system to confirm every applicant’s lawful immigration status
“A critical safety gap allowed unqualified drivers with unknown driving histories to get behind the wheel of commercial vehicles,” said Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) Administrator Derek D. Barrs. “We are closing that gap today to ensure that only qualified, vetted drivers are operating on our nation’s roadways. If we cannot verify your safe driving history, you cannot hold a CDL in this country.”
– News has reported extensively on the dangers to the public on the issue of non-domiciled commercial truck drivers. Earlier this year, President Donald Trump signed an executive order requiring that truckers be proficient in English, -’s Nick Gilbertson reported in April.
“President Trump believes that English is a non-negotiable safety requirement for professional drivers, as they should be able to read and understand traffic signs, communicate with traffic safety officers, border patrol, agricultural checkpoints, and cargo weight-limit station personnel, and provide and receive feedback and directions in English,” the document notes.
Under the anticipated order, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy will be directed “to rescind and replace guidance to strengthen inspection procedures for compliance with English proficiency requirements,” per the White House document.
Since September, the nationwide audit has resulted in exposing systemic non-compliance in issuing non-domiciled CDLs across several states–including New York, California, Pennsylvania, Minnesota, Colorado, and North Carolina, DOT officials stated.
Many states took quick action to comply with the president’s executive order and the DOT’s efforts to remove these dangerous drivers from our roadways.
Oklahoma law enforcement officers teamed up with Immigration and Customs Enforcement teams to arrest 70 illegal aliens in an operation targeting highway sweeps, – Texas reported. The November sweep removed at least 34 unlawful drivers from the highways. Many obtained their CDLs from states including California, Illinois, and New York, despite lacking legal status or basic English proficiency.
In September, Texas Governor Greg Abbott ordered the Department of Public Safety to “strictly enforce English proficiency requirements for commercial drivers. The order followed – Texas’s coverage of the Lone Star State, which led the nation in removing truck drivers from service for not being proficient in English.
On September 1, – Texas reported that Texas led the nation in the percentage of commercial driver’s license holders receiving “out of service” orders for not being proficient in reading and speaking English. Governor Abbott’s spokesman, Andrew Mahaleris, responded to an inquiry from -, saying, “Governor Abbott expects trucking companies in Texas to fully comply with President Trump’s Executive Order. Public safety is priority #1, and we must ensure that truckers are able to navigate Texas roadways safely and efficiently.”
Since then, Texas has launched a crackdown on these truck drivers. Texas has dropped to fifth place, behind California, New York, Pennsylvania, Illinois, and Florida.
“While liberal states like California issue licenses to illegal immigrants and risk the lives of Americans, Texas will work with our federal partners to maintain safe roads and apprehend illegal immigrants to protect our communities,” Governor Abbott said in a recent statement.
California Governor Gavin Newsom defied orders from the DOT to remove non-domiciled drivers from the nation’s highways, -’s Warner Todd Huston reported.
California has been caught red‑handed, leading the nation in unlawfully issuing commercial driver’s licenses to foreign nationals, with federal regulators blasting Governor Gavin Newsom’s administration for putting politics above public safety and fueling deadly crashes on America’s highways.
Following an October crash near Los Angeles that left three people dead, allegedly at the hands of a California non-domiciled CDL driver, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy issued a scathing report about the dangers of Governor Newsom’s policy of ignoring federal law. California issued approximately 60,000 non-domiciled CDLs. Overdrive.com reports that 25 percent of these are improperly licensed. Many of these licenses expire well past the expiration of the driver’s immigration status.
“It would have never happened if Gavin Newsom had followed our new rules,” Duffy wrote in the report. “California broke the law and now three people are dead and two are hospitalized. These people deserve justice. There will be consequences.”
A blistering Department of Transportation audit revealed that one in four of the state’s non‑domiciled CDLs were issued improperly, with some valid until 2030 despite immigration documents expiring years earlier. Federal regulators say reckless licensing practices have already contributed to deadly crashes, and Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy is now threatening to withhold hundreds of millions in highway funds from California unless Newsom reverses course.
The final rule marks one of the most sweeping federal crackdowns on unvetted commercial drivers in decades, closing a loophole that federal officials say has repeatedly put the public at risk and contributed to deadly crashes across the country. By eliminating the use of Employment Authorization Documents, mandating Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements (SAVE) verification, and restricting eligibility to fully vetted nonimmigrant categories, the Trump administration is moving to ensure that only qualified, legally authorized drivers operate commercial trucks and buses on America’s highways.
As states scramble to comply and federal audits continue to expose widespread licensing failures, DOT officials say the message is now unmistakable: drivers with unverifiable histories will no longer be allowed behind the wheel of an 80,000‑pound vehicle, and the era of dangerous, non‑domiciled CDL holders slipping through the system is coming to an end.
Bob Price is the – Texas-Border team’s associate editor and senior news contributor. He is an original member of the – Texas team. Price is a regular panelist on Fox 26 Houston’s What’s Your Point? Sunday morning talk show. He also serves as president of Blue Wonder Gun Care Products.
