California has delayed its cancellation of hundreds of business driver’s licenses held by migrants, setting it up for one more showdown with Washington.
The Division of Motor Automobiles introduced on Tuesday that the 17,000 migrant truck drivers whose licenses had been revoked can now maintain them for 60 extra days, which might allow the drivers to retake assessments and do no matter is critical to stay authorized.
“Business drivers are an vital a part of our financial system — our provide chains don’t transfer, and our communities don’t keep linked with out them,” mentioned DMV Director Steve Gordon in a press release after the extension.
U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy reacted by threatening to chop $160 million in federal funding to California if the state doesn’t meet the Jan. 5 deadline to revoke unvetted international trucker licenses.
“California does NOT have an ‘extension’ to maintain breaking the legislation and placing People in danger on the roads,” Duffy posted on X.
He had earlier withheld $40 million in federal funding to California for failing to implement English proficiency assessments for truckers.
California’s transfer to delay license revocations comes days after the Sikh Coalition and the Asian Legislation Caucus, filed a class-action lawsuit alleging that the DMV failed to supply correct recourse for affected drivers, refused to resume or subject new industrial driver’s licenses, and violated their rights.
The 60-day extension permits these drivers whose licenses have been set to run out on Jan. 5 to proceed driving till March 6.
“It’s one small optimistic step ahead,” mentioned Manpreet Kaur, the vice mayor of Bakersfield, house to many migrant truckers. “We have been extraordinarily relieved to see this inside the neighborhood right here in Bakersfield.”
Bakersfield is a hub for trucking within the Central Valley, with a big focus of the Punjabi Sikh neighborhood that was affected by the choice to revoke licenses. Kaur mentioned truckers have been unfairly focused within the political tussle between state coverage and federal guidelines.
Punjabi Sikhs are a pillar of the American trucking business. An estimated 150,000 work in trucking, with the bulk based mostly on the West Coast.
Business licenses for non-American drivers grew to become a political flash level in 2025 after an undocumented Punjabi trucker was concerned in an accident in Florida that resulted within the demise of three individuals.
A federal audit discovered that many industrial licenses issued to immigrant drivers have been set to run out gone the period of immigrant truckers’ authorized keep within the U.S.
Critics have contended that drivers shouldn’t be punished for clerical errors of the DMV.
“I consider all 17,000 truckers will have the ability to take the [commercial driver’s license] take a look at by March,” mentioned Matt Cartwright, a transportation and private harm legal professional and former U.S. consultant from Pennsylvania. “The protected drivers may have no downside passing.”
The extension could possibly be used to do extra thorough screening, corresponding to verifying standing, confirming {qualifications}, and documenting the method so the general public can belief the result and security is ensured, mentioned Tray Gober of LGR Legislation Agency.
Trucking commerce teams as soon as complained about driver shortages and welcomed immigrant drivers. Now, the associations say the shortages not exist due to the freight recession and are supportive of the federal crackdown on international drivers. Some have backed the transfer to take away unqualified drivers who can’t learn highway indicators.
One new subject that may emerge from reapplication is whether or not, “by submitting to the brand new guidelines, immigrants with revoked licenses are giving up any proper to sue for improper revocation,” mentioned legal professional Doug Burnetti, who has been intently following the coverage adjustments.
“I think which may be fact-specific and rely on every case, but when I have been representing the federal authorities, I might argue that reapplication beneath the brand new guidelines waives any objections to the revocation beneath the outdated guidelines,” Brunetti mentioned.
Then again, he mentioned, the truckers would argue they’d no selection however to reapply to attempt to get their licenses again.
“That’s an fascinating query that may in the end need to be resolved by a decide,” he mentioned.
