The Trump administration's crackdown on immigrant truckers shifts into higher gear

"It was like a slap in the face, because I've done everything the right way. I've stayed out of trouble. I've been a law-abiding non-citizen, is what I like to say. Rivera was brought to the U.S. illegally from Mexico when he was two years old. He's enrolled in the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, better known as DACA, that granted him permission to legally work in the U.S., among other benefits, and allowed him to get a commercial driver's license in 2014 and start his own trucking company."

"By the DOT's own estimate, the proposed regulations would force about 200,000 immigrants out of the trucking industry. That includes asylum-seekers, as well as immigrants with Temporary Protected Status or DACA. The changes were sought by the Trump administration, which wants to make it harder for immigrants with temporary legal status to get commercial driver's licenses after several high-profile crashes involving foreign-born drivers."

"I don't know what I would do, to be honest with you, Rivera said of the possibility of losing his trucking license. I even have my company name tattooed on my body, he said during a video interview. With his truck safely pulled off the road, Rivera showed off a tattoo on his arm with his company name and a freeway."

Jorge Rivera, a commercial trucker with over a decade of experience, discovered he cannot renew his commercial driver's license in Utah despite holding DACA status, which previously granted him legal work authorization. The Trump administration proposed Department of Transportation regulations to restrict commercial driver's licenses for immigrants with temporary legal status, citing safety concerns following high-profile crashes involving foreign-born drivers. Critics argue these regulations would provide minimal safety benefits while displacing approximately 200,000 workers, including asylum-seekers and those with Temporary Protected Status or DACA. Rivera, who established his own trucking company and has maintained a law-abiding record, faces uncertainty about his livelihood and professional identity.

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