The Trump Administration’s pressure on Congress to pass a law that bars immigrants from holding a commercial driver’s license to drive big-rig trucks has influenced a new ruling that went into effect March 16, a move that can affect up to 200,000 Americans from the U.S. trucking industry
The rule was announced on February 11, revoking commercial licenses from immigrants with a variety of temporary protections, regardless of whether or not they’re authorized to work in the United States. In a statement by U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy, he said “For far too long, America has allowed dangerous foreign drivers to abuse our truck licensing systems – wreaking havoc on our roadways. This safety loophole ends today.”
Today's ruling happens as Dalilah’s Law moves through congress, a law named after a seven-year-old girl who was injured by an undocumented truck driver with a commercial 18-wheeler. During his State of the Union speech, Trump called on Congress to pass legislation to further restrict immigrants from obtaining such licenses in a law he’s calling “Dalilah’s Law.” He affirmed his stance on immigrant truck drivers by brazenly stating, “Most illegal aliens do not speak English and cannot read even the most basic road signs as to direction, speed, danger, or location.”
Dalilah’s Law prohibits states from issuing commercial driver’s licenses to anyone who is not a U.S. citizen, a lawful permanent resident, or a holder of one of three specific work visa categories: H-2A (temporary agricultural workers), H-2B (temporary non-agricultural workers), or E-2 (treaty investors). However, this restriction was already ruled and went into effect earlier today.
Dalilah’s Law is made up of four core operative provisions that are conditioned under one mechanism meant to make the law essentially mandatory for states. States that do not comply will lose their federal highway and transportation funds, tying compliance directly to their Department of Transportation federal funding.
Today's ruling bars immigrants who are asylum seekers, and refugees or recipients of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA). Those with valid commercial licenses will lose their driving privileges as their license expires, not immediately.
According to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, there are approximately 200,000 non-domiciled CDL holders, and approximately 20,000 non-domiciled CLP holders. These 200,000 CDL holders make up roughly five percent of the 3.8 million active interstate CDL holders in 2024.
The FMCSA estimates that roughly 194,000 current non-domiciled CDL holders will have to exit the freight market.
