Colorado’s program for issuing commercial driver licenses to immigrants with temporary legal status has been shut down for nearly two months and remains indefinitely suspended as state officials conduct an audit in response to a federal government crackdown on illegal trucking.
U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy has ordered states to stop issuing CDLs to non-citizens and to revoke licenses that don’t comply with federal rules that prohibit licenses with expiration dates beyond the time immigrants are legally allowed to stay in the country.
A Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration letter sent to Colorado on Oct. 23 says a federal review found systematic errors, with 22% of CDLs issued to immigrants failing to comply with regulations. Licenses were issued to immigrants who did not qualify, and licenses were issued with dates beyond the drivers’ lawful presence in the United States, the letter said. Federal authorities sent similar letters to several other states — warning that failure to correct problems would lead to loss of federal highway funds and decertification of the state’s CDL program.
“We are auditing all of the term-limited CDLs to ensure compliance with federal issuance regulations and expect the audit to be complete by the new year,” Colorado Division of Motor Vehicles spokeswoman Elizabeth Kosar said this week. “The Colorado Division of Motor Vehicles takes its responsibility related to proper issuance of licenses and road safety seriously.”
Colorado officials defended their program, saying the time limit on CDLs issued here “is generally set” to align with the expiration of the applicant’s immigration documents. “This ensures the credential’s validity does not exceed the individual’s authorized temporary stay,” DMV spokeswoman Jennifer Giambi said. U.S. citizens and immigrants with “permanent resident,” or green card, status receive full-term four-year CDLs.
State officials require CDL applicants to demonstrate lawful presence in the country and to provide identity documents, a Social Security number, and a Colorado address, Giambi said. Immigration documents submitted by applicants are verified using the online Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements Program administered by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services officials.
Driver training and testing requirements, the same for all CDL applicants, include completion of a written test, a federally approved safety course, and a federally approved road skills test.
Federal officials have pointed to California, Pennsylvania, and Minnesota as offenders and threatened to withhold $73 million in federal funds from New York.
Nationwide, about 20% of truck drivers are immigrants. Trump administration officials have proposed restrictions that would limit the issuance of commercial driver’s licenses to non-citizens. A Nov. 10 federal appeals court decision has blocked enforcement of those restrictions.
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