Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy criticized a federal court ruling Monday that blocked the Trump administration’s effort to restrict illegal immigrants from obtaining commercial driver’s licenses (CDLs).
According to Fox News, during an interview with Laura Ingraham, Duffy said they were “not going to take this lying down.”
“We are going to do all we can to protect the American people,” he added.
The comments follow a decision last Thursday by a federal appeals court in Washington, D.C., which ruled that the Department of Transportation’s restrictions could not be enforced.
The rule, announced in September, aimed to prevent illegal immigrants from obtaining CDLs after a tractor-trailer crash in Fort Pierce, Florida, killed three people. Harjinder Singh, an illegal immigrant, was accused of causing the deadly crash.
The court found that the federal government had not followed proper procedures when implementing the rule and failed to show how it would improve public safety. Judges also highlighted Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration data indicating that immigrants hold about 5% of all commercial driver’s licenses but account for only 0.2% of fatal crashes.
Duffy placed responsibility squarely on the Biden administration, claiming that allowing millions of illegal immigrants to enter the U.S., issue work authorizations, and then let them obtain CDLs created unnecessary risks.
“People are dying,” Duffy said. “And we thought it was appropriate to protect Americans, and we should have an emergency rule, not to go through the month-long process. We did that. The court has rolled us back and said, ‘Well, we’re not quite sure this is an emergency. We want to see more data.’ And I’m like… ‘Watch any show on television, and you’ll see the risk to the American people.’”
The ruling highlights ongoing tension over federal authority and public safety regulations related to immigration and commercial driving. Duffy’s statements suggest the Department of Transportation may pursue additional measures to restrict CDL access, signaling that the debate over how to balance safety and regulatory process is far from over.
The court’s decision leaves the Trump-era restrictions unenforceable for now, while critics argue that the rules could unfairly target immigrants who meet existing licensing requirements. Meanwhile, transportation officials warn that concerns over road safety remain unresolved.
