The Division of Motor Autos introduced on Tuesday that the 17,000 migrant truck drivers whose licenses had been revoked can now maintain them for 60 extra days, which may allow the drivers to retake assessments and do no matter is critical to stay authorized.
“Business drivers are an essential a part of our financial system — our provide chains don’t transfer, and our communities don’t keep related 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 regulation 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 Regulation Caucus, filed a class-action lawsuit alleging that the DMV failed to supply correct recourse for affected drivers, refused to resume or challenge 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 constructive step ahead,” mentioned Manpreet Kaur, the vice mayor of Bakersfield, residence 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 loss of life 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 imagine all 17,000 truckers will have the ability to take the [commercial driver’s license] check by March,” mentioned Matt Cartwright, a transportation and private damage lawyer and former U.S. consultant from Pennsylvania. “The protected drivers could have no drawback passing.”
The extension may very well be used to do extra thorough screening, similar to verifying standing, confirming {qualifications}, and documenting the method so the general public can belief the end result and security is ensured, mentioned Tray Gober of LGR Regulation 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 street indicators.
One new challenge which 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 lawyer Doug Burnetti, who has been carefully 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 previous guidelines,” Brunetti mentioned.
However, he mentioned, the truckers would argue they’d no selection however to reapply to attempt to get their licenses again.
“That’s an attention-grabbing query that can in the end must be resolved by a choose,” he mentioned.
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