The Democrat-led state of California has delayed the cancellation of approximately 17,000 commercial truck driver's licenses issued to illegal migrants.
California's Department of Motor Vehicles announced it will postpone a planned Jan. 5 cancellation of thousands of non-domiciled commercial driver's licenses (CDLs) for 60 days, pushing the deadline into March and setting up another flashpoint with the Trump administration and federal transportation regulators, the Washington Examiner reported.
The delay comes as the administration ramps up enforcement of long-standing federal rules designed to keep unsafe and unqualified drivers off America's roads — including the requirement that commercial drivers demonstrate English language proficiency so they can read and obey traffic signs.
"Commercial drivers are an important part of our economy — our supply chains don't move, and our communities don't stay connected without them," California DMV Director Steve Gordon said, arguing the state hopes federal officials will accept California's updated processes and allow the state to resume issuing the controversial licenses.
But the dispute is not merely bureaucratic.
Federal officials say audits and investigations uncovered "significant failures" in California and other blue states, including not properly placing drivers out of service for English language violations.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy has warned states could lose millions in federal funding if they do not adopt and enforce the federal standards.
California's Highway Patrol has publicly indicated it does not intend to follow the federal regulation, fueling concerns that the state is prioritizing sanctuary-state politics over public safety and uniform enforcement of the law.
Under the DMV's revised timeline, illegal migrants previously issued CDLs will have an additional two months to reapply and retake exams, according to the Examiner.
The delay also follows a class-action lawsuit from immigrant advocacy groups claiming lawful drivers are being unfairly swept up in the revocations.
The suit, filed by the Sikh Coalition and Asian Law Caucus, argues the DMV mishandled expiration dates tied to work authorization and legal presence documents, and that mass cancellations could disrupt supply chains.
Still, critics say the core issue remains: California issued commercial licenses to individuals without lawful status, and now appears to be stalling cleanup as federal pressure mounts.
Supporters of the crackdown point to high-profile tragedies.
Authorities in Florida identified an illegal migrant, Harjinder Singh, as the driver of an 18-wheeler involved in an August crash that killed three people after he attempted an illegal U-turn where road signs prohibited it.
Similar fatal incidents have surfaced nationwide.
Trucking trade groups have applauded the federal push to remove unqualified drivers and tighten oversight of questionable CDL schools.
For many Americans, the question is straightforward: whether states will enforce uniform federal safety rules, or whether sanctuary politics will continue to erode accountability, with deadly consequences on the highways.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Charlie McCarthy ✉
Charlie McCarthy, a writer/editor at Newsmax, has nearly 40 years of experience covering news, sports, and politics.
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