California must let immigrant truck drivers keep their licenses, judge rules

"The U.S. Department of Transportation already has repeatedly pushed the California Department of Motor Vehicles to rescind these licenses, which belong to many asylum seekers and other immigrants with temporary legal status, after the federal government found alleged clerical issues regarding the expiration dates on their licenses."

"The transportation department said in January that it will withhold $160 million in federal highway funds from California as punishment for extending the expiration dates."

"The Trump administration has threatened to rescind California's ability to grant commercial licenses altogether if the state doesn't comply with its orders regarding immigrant truckers."

A tentative ruling in Alameda County Superior Court allows more than 20,000 immigrant truck drivers to retain their California licenses temporarily. The U.S. Department of Transportation pressured California's DMV to revoke licenses held by asylum seekers and immigrants with temporary legal status due to alleged clerical issues with expiration dates. The DMV initially complied, notifying drivers their licenses would expire within 60 days. However, legal advocacy groups including the Asian Law Caucus and Sikh Coalition challenged the revocation process as improper, prompting the state to extend expiration dates to March 6. The federal government responded by threatening to withhold $160 million in highway funding. State attorneys warn the court decision risks further federal retaliation, including potential revocation of California's authority to issue commercial licenses entirely.

Read at ABC7 Los Angeles