U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said Sunday he's planning to take $160 million in highway funds away from California. The reason: Duffy claims the state kept giving commercial driver’s licenses (CDLs) to people who are not supposed to get them under new federal rules.
The backstory: The U.S. Department of Transportation tightened CDL rules for noncitizens in September, after several fatal crashes allegedly involving immigrant drivers. Now, only certain visa holders can get a CDL, and states have to check immigration status more closely.
- Duffy says California issued tens of thousands of CDLs to folks who aren't eligible. He stated, "So you have 60,000 people on the roads who shouldn’t have licenses. They’re driving fuel tankers, they’re driving school buses."
- Duffy also warned he might stop California from handing out any CDLs at all if the state doesn’t change its process.
California's side: California officials say they already adjusted their process and are following the new rules. The state DMV spokesperson said, "California is in compliance with these regulations and will remain in compliance with federal law."
The review started after a trucker in the country illegally caused a deadly crash in Florida, which led to a nationwide audit of commercial driver’s licenses and found problems in several states, according to ABC News.
No date has been set yet for when California might actually lose the money, but Duffy said the state’s ability to hand out CDLs could be on the chopping block next.