The Department’s nationwide audit exposed that Pennsylvania has issued licenses to ineligible and unqualified foreign drivers
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy today announced that the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) found Pennsylvania violated existing federal safety regulations by issuing non-domiciled commercial driver’s licenses (CDLs) illegally – including to ineligible foreigners without verifying their legal status. The Department will withhold nearly $75 million in federal funding if the state does not immediately revoke these illegally issued licenses and correct dangerous failures USDOT identified in its CDL program.
ICE’s recent arrest of a suspected terrorist illegally in our country who was issued a license in Pennsylvania just this summer underscores the importance of the Secretary’s nationwide audit of non-domiciled CDLs, which commenced in June.
“Under President Trump, this Department is taking every measure to ensure dangerous foreign drivers aren’t illegally operating 40-ton vehicles on American roads,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy. “Joe Biden allowed tens of millions of illegals to pour into our country through open borders, including a suspected terrorist who Pennsylvania then allowed to get behind the wheel of a semitruck. I will continue to fight to get these dangerous drivers off our roads to protect American families and support our national security.”
In FMCSA’s review of Pennsylvania’s non-domiciled CDL issuance practices, FMCSA found numerous failures by Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) including:
- Issuing non-domiciled CDLs with an expiration date that extended well beyond the driver’s authorized stay in the United States
- Failing to require any proof of lawful presence before issuing a CDL
USDOT is now demanding that Pennsylvania take the following corrective measures to avoid funding being withheld:
- Immediately pause the issuance of all new, renewed, transferred, or upgraded non-domiciled CDLs or commercial learner’s permits (CLPs).
- Conduct a comprehensive internal audit to identify every non-domiciled license that was issued in violation of federal regulations and the policies, practices, and procedures that allowed for the issuance of non-compliant licenses.
- Void or rescind all unexpired, noncompliant licenses and remove unqualified drivers from the road.
Additional Information:
The announcement follows President Trump’s Executive Order earlier this year, which placed a renewed focus on roadway safety and directed the Department of Transportation to take swift action.
In September, Secretary Duffy announced an emergency action to drastically restrict who is eligible for non-domiciled CLPs and CDLs after a nationwide audit of non-domiciled CDLs highlighted systemic non-compliance across several states, including California.
In June, Secretary Duffy announced a nationwide audit of states issuing non-domiciled CDLs and unveiled a pro-trucker package that includes millions to expand truck parking, the removal of one-size-fits-all mandates, the modernization of driver resources, and the slashing of red tape.
In May, Secretary Duffy signed an order announcing new guidelines to strengthen English language enforcement for commercial truck operators. Under the new guidance, commercial motor vehicle (CMV) drivers who fail to comply with FMCSA longstanding English-language proficiency (ELP) requirements will be placed out-of-service.
In March, President Trump signed an executive order designating English as the official language of the United States.