Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy told Fox News host Sean Hannity on Thursday night that he could prohibit California from issuing commercial driver licenses (CDL) if the state continued to grant them to illegal immigrants.
An illegal immigrant driving a tractor-trailer killed three people in an accident near Ontario, California, on Tuesday while allegedly driving under the influence of drugs. The Transportation Department accused California on Thursday of ignoring stricter guidelines for non-citizens applying for CDLs issued in September.
“Well, in regard to our rules, I already took $40 million from the state of California,” Duffy said during the appearance on “Hannity.” “I am doing a quick review of their lack of compliance with our rules. I have the ability and I’m going to pull almost another $160 million, and then I have the ability… to say, ‘Listen, if you don’t follow any of these rules that keep Americans safe, we’re going to revoke your ability to issue a commercial driver’s license.”
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After a deadly August accident allegedly caused by an illegal immigrant who attempted to make an illegal U-turn on a Florida highway that left three people dead, the Department of Transportation tightened guidelines for issuing CDLs to non-citizens.
Duffy announced he would yank $40 million in federal funds from California during an Oct. 15 appearance on Fox Business Network. Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom of California has opposed the Trump administration’s crackdowns on illegal immigration, including filing lawsuits against the deployment of the National Guard to address riots targeting United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operations and facilities.
“All the states have complied, but one. That would be California. Gavin Newsom cares more about illegal migrants than he does about the safety of his citizens or the citizens around the country. We use what tools that we can. We have $40 million of funding that goes to the state of California,” Duffy told “The Bottom Line” co-host Jackie DeAngelis. Duffy previously co-hosted the show with Fox Business Network host Dagen McDowell.
Duffy urged states to revoke improperly issued CDLs in the September press release announcing the new guidelines.
“California must get its act together immediately or I will not hesitate to pull millions in funding,” Duffy said. “To every other state around the country – find all improperly issued CDLs and revoke their licenses now. We owe it to the American people to ensure only lawful, qualified drivers are operating big rigs on our highways.”
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