A group of migrant truck drivers filed a lawsuit against the California Department of Motor Vehicles this week after the state canceled thousands of commercial driver’s licenses, a move that followed pressure from the Trump administration to address the issuance of such licenses to illegal immigrant truckers.
California revoked nearly 20,000 commercial driver’s licenses after federal officials raised concerns about the state’s practices. The action came amid a broader federal crackdown that began following a series of fatal crashes involving illegal immigrant truck drivers, drawing renewed scrutiny to how states handle licensing for commercial vehicles.
The Department of Transportation identified California as one of the worst offenders when it came to issuing commercial driver’s licenses to individuals who were not legally authorized to be in the United States. Federal officials warned the state that it could lose $160 million in federal funding if changes were not made. In response, California issued 60-day cancellation notices to roughly 17,000 drivers after the federal government determined that the expiration dates on their licenses extended beyond the period the migrants were permitted to remain in the country, according to the Los Angeles Times.
The lawsuit was brought by the Asian Law Caucus, the Sikh Coalition, and the law firm Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP. The groups argue that California law requires the DMV either to correct the expiration dates on the licenses or to allow drivers to reapply for corrected licenses when such errors occur. According to the suit, the state’s failure to do so puts thousands of drivers at risk of losing their livelihoods.
Advocacy groups backing the lawsuit say the license cancellations will have sweeping economic consequences. Munmeeth Kaur, legal director of the Sikh Coalition, said the situation stems from clerical errors made by the DMV itself. She warned that without court intervention, the state could see a wave of unemployment that would harm families and disrupt supply chains.
“These drivers have spent years anchoring their lives to these careers, only to now face potential economic ruin through no fault of their own,” Kaur said, adding that California “must do better.”
Katherine Zhao, a senior staff attorney at the Asian Law Caucus, echoed those concerns, saying the state has a moral and legal obligation to protect workers. Zhao said that without an immediate court-ordered stay, many drivers will lose their jobs at a time when families should be focused on spending time together, not facing financial devastation.
The lawsuit comes against the backdrop of heightened concerns over public safety. One illegal immigrant who had been issued a California commercial driver’s license allegedly killed three people in August after making an illegal U-turn on a Florida turnpike. The crash drew national attention after dash-cam footage showed the driver, Harjinder Singh of India, appearing unfazed in the aftermath.
Investigators said Singh had failed his commercial driver’s license test 10 times in a three-month period before eventually being granted a license in Washington and later in California. After the fatal crash, Singh also failed an English language proficiency test, correctly answering just two of 12 verbal questions and accurately identifying only one of four highway traffic signs, according to the Department of Transportation.
The case has fueled debate over California’s licensing practices, federal enforcement, and the balance between worker protections and public safety as the courts now weigh the lawsuit.
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