California to revoke commercial licenses of about 13,000 immigrant truck drivers, DMV says
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — The California Department of Motor Vehicles said the federal government has required the state to revoke the commercial driver’s licenses of about 13,000 immigrant truck drivers.
According to the DMV, the decision affects drivers who do not have U.S. citizenship or lawful permanent resident status and are categorized as “non-domiciled.” The group can include some visa holders, refugees and people who have applied for or been granted asylum.
In a statement, the DMV said all drivers who were issued non-domiciled commercial driver’s licenses had valid federal work authorization and were legally present in the United States at the time their licenses were issued.
In a separate statement, the DMV accused the Trump administration of making misleading claims about the issuance of commercial driver’s licenses to immigrant drivers in California.
DMV Director Steve Gordon said the federal government is using strict immigration policies to remove qualified commercial drivers from the workforce.
“This federal administration is using its immigration crackdown to remove qualified, hardworking commercial drivers from our workforce who meet language and safety requirements,” Gordon said.
He added that there is currently no guarantee that alternative solutions will be provided to help the affected drivers or their employers.
The DMV said not all immigrant drivers will be affected by the decision. Only those who have already received a notice of cancellation will have their licenses revoked.
Meanwhile, the California Superior Court in Alameda County has ordered the DMV to create a process to prevent wrongful license cancellations and allow drivers whose licenses have been revoked to quickly reapply.
However, some drivers could temporarily lose their ability to work until the new process is implemented, which could mean a loss of income for many.
Federal officials say commercial driver’s licenses cannot be valid for longer than a driver’s work authorization under federal law. They also warned that California could lose millions of dollars in federal highway funding if the state fails to revoke the licenses.
