Why 200,000 immigrant truckers are losing their licenses

About 200,000 immigrant truck drivers – virtually all of them in the U.S. legally – will begin losing their commercial driver’s licenses under a Trump administration rule taking effect Monday.

The rule, which will bar many noncitizens from getting new commercial licenses or renewing existing ones, creates challenges for the trucking industry, already struggling with high fuel costs and high driver turnover, according to The Washington Post. Existing licenses will continue to be valid until they expire.

Among those affected are asylum seekers, refugees and DACA recipients.

The Transportation Department adopted the rule after several high-profile crashes involving immigrant truckers last summer. Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy said the government had allowed “dangerous foreign drivers” to abuse truck licensing systems. The administration argues that some noncitizens cannot be fully vetted for overseas driving histories.

What critics dispute

Opponents say the administration has not shown that the targeted groups are less safe drivers than American citizens.

Wendy Liu, a lawyer with the Public Citizen Litigation Group who is leading a lawsuit against the rule, told The Post that the administration “has conceded that there’s no empirical relationship between a person’s nation of domicile and safety outcomes.”

Before the new rule took effect, immigrants and nonimmigrants alike were required to attend driving schools and pass tests to obtain commercial licenses. Noncitizens also needed work authorization from the government to qualify.

How the impact reaches drivers and the industry

Because current licenses remain valid until they expire, the effect is expected to spread gradually rather than all at once.

Transportation experts told The Post they do not expect major supply-chain disruption, but said a smaller eligible workforce could increase labor costs for carriers and eventually push consumer prices higher. Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration data cited by PBS News shows immigrants hold about 5% of all commercial driver’s licenses. Trucks move more than 70% of U.S. freight, according to the American Trucking Associations.

“I have not heard any concerns about labor shortages or significant disruption to the supply chain or transportation industry, but this change will be reflected in the cost of doing business,” Gregory Reed, a transportation attorney who specializes in regulatory issues, told The Post.

Higher fuel costs tied to the war in Iran could add to those burdens if labor costs rise at the same time.

What else changed

The licensing rule is part of a broader enforcement affecting immigrant truck drivers. The administration has increased enforcement of English-language requirements for truckers and, in December, moved to revoke the certification of nearly 3,000 driver training centers that officials said failed to meet federal standards.

“Bad actors who exploit loopholes in our regulatory systems are putting everyone at risk. This is unacceptable,” Paul J. Enos, CEO of the Nevada Trucking Association, told The Associated Press in December. “We are focused on solutions and resolute on seeing them implemented.”

What happens next

The lawsuit against the rule is still pending, and some Republicans want Congress to go further.

The Post reported that after Trump urged lawmakers to restrict immigrant access to commercial licenses,  Sen. Jim Banks, R-Ind., introduced legislation that would immediately revoke licenses for the same group covered by the rule. The bill is moving through Congress but has not yet reached a vote.

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