A federal appeals court in Washington, D.C., has halted the Biden administration’s attempt to impose new restrictions on immigrants seeking commercial driver’s licenses, ruling the Department of Transportation failed to follow required procedures when issuing the policy.
According to Fox News, the DOT announced the restrictions in September following a high-profile crash in Fort Pierce, Florida, where an illegal immigrant truck driver was accused of causing a collision that killed three people.
Prosecutors say Harjinder Singh, an Indian national who allegedly entered the U.S. illegally in 2018, jackknifed his tractor-trailer during an illegal U-turn, leading a van to slam into the truck. Singh has pleaded not guilty to three counts of vehicular homicide and three counts of manslaughter.
According to the Florida Attorney General’s Office, Singh failed the CDL knowledge exam in Washington state 10 times within two months and twice failed the air brakes exam.
He also failed an English proficiency test. Although he ultimately obtained his CDL in California, a state audit later revealed thousands of immigrant licenses remained valid long after work permits expired — prompting officials to revoke 17,000 licenses.
The vacated DOT rule would have limited commercial licenses to immigrants holding three specific visa types, capped the licenses at one year, and required immigration status to be verified through a federal database.
Federal officials estimated the rules would have disqualified about 10,000 of the 200,000 immigrant CDL holders nationwide. But without enforcement, those drivers may continue operating until their licenses naturally expire.
The court noted the administration never explained how the new limitations would improve road safety. Judges also cited federal safety data showing immigrants hold roughly 5% of commercial licenses yet are involved in only about 0.2% of fatal crashes.
The Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association, representing more than 150,000 drivers, defended the administration’s broader push to tighten CDL standards.
“OOIDA applauds the Administration for seeing through the myth of a truck driver shortage and continuing efforts to restore commonsense safety standards on our nation’s highways,” OOIDA president Todd Spencer said. He argued that tightening visa rules would “ensure only qualified individuals get licensed” without harming the supply chain.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy has also pressured California to reinstate English-language enforcement for truckers. The department is currently withholding $40 million in federal funds from the state until California guarantees inspectors will test English proficiency during roadside checks and pull drivers who fail.
The future of the blocked restrictions now depends on whether the administration revises and resubmits the rule under proper federal procedures.
