California delays revoking 17,000 commercial driver's licenses until March after immigrants sue

"A week after immigrant groups filed a lawsuit, California said Tuesday it will delay the revocations of 17,000 commercial driver's licenses until March to allow more time to ensure that truckers and bus drivers who legally qualify for the licenses can keep them. But U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said the state may lose $160 million if it doesn't meet a Jan. 5 deadline to revoke the licenses."

"He already withheld $40 million in federal funding because he said California isn't enforcing English proficiency requirements for truckers. California only sent out notices to invalidate the licenses after Duffy pressured the state to make sure immigrants who are in the country illegally aren't granted the licenses. An audit found problems like licenses that remained valid long after an immigrant's authorization to be in the country expired or licenses where the state couldn't prove it checked a driver's immigration status."

""California does NOT have an 'extension' to keep breaking the law and putting Americans at risk on the roads," Duffy posted on the social platform X. The Transportation Department has been prioritizing the issue ever since a truck driver who was not authorized to be in the U.S. made an illegal U-turn and caused a crash in Florida that killed three people in August."

California delayed revocation of 17,000 commercial driver's licenses until March to give more time to ensure legally eligible truckers and bus drivers keep their credentials. U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy warned the state may lose $160 million if it misses a Jan. 5 deadline and already withheld $40 million over alleged failures to enforce English proficiency requirements. The state issued notices only after federal pressure and an audit flagged licenses remaining valid after authorization expired and gaps in immigration checks. Federal agencies blocked resuming license issuance, and civil-rights groups filed a class-action lawsuit on behalf of drivers.

Read at The Mercury News