In brief
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy has expressed concerns over New York's issuance of commercial driver's licenses to immigrants, stating that many licenses were issued without proper verification of immigration status. In a move that could impact the state's highway funding, Duffy has threatened to withhold $73 million unless the issues are addressed. New York officials assert they are complying with federal regulations, but federal reviewers found significant discrepancies in license issuance. This controversy highlights ongoing tensions surrounding immigration policies across multiple states.
New York routinely issues licenses to immigrants that may be valid long after they are legally authorized to be in the country, U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said Friday and he threatened to withhold $73 million in highway funds unless the system is fixed.
New York officials said they are following all the federal rules for the licenses and have been verifying drivers’ immigration status.
New York is the latest state Duffy has targeted in his effort to ensure truck and bus drivers are qualified to get licenses. This initiative follows a crash in Florida caused by an unqualified driver that killed three people. However, the regulations regarding these licenses have been in place for years.
The Transportation Department is currently auditing these non-domiciled licenses nationwide, but Duffy has only threatened sanctions against states led by Democratic governors. He insists that this initiative is not political, stating it aims to ensure safety on the roads.
Duffy highlighted findings from federal investigators, noting that over half of the 200 licenses reviewed in New York were issued improperly. Many of these licenses default to being valid for eight years regardless of an immigrant’s work permit expiration. He also pointed out New York's inability to demonstrate verification of immigration status for around 32,000 active non-domiciled commercial licenses.
“When more than half of the licenses reviewed were issued illegally, it isn’t just a mistake — it is a dereliction of duty by state leadership,” Duffy remarked, urging Governor Hochul to revoke the improperly issued licenses.
New York has 30 days to address these concerns. DMV spokesperson Walter McClure defended the state, claiming federal regulations govern the issuing of Commercial Drivers Licenses and asserting the New York DMV's compliance with those rules.
Immigrants constitute about 20% of all truck drivers, though non-domiciled licenses represent only around 5% of all commercial licenses. Amid escalating scrutiny, the Transportation Department has proposed new restrictions on noncitizen licensing, but a court has temporarily halted these measures.
Duffy has also pressured other states, including California and Pennsylvania, after audits discovered similar issues with the issuance of commercial licenses. California recently revoked 17,000 licenses following such findings.
