In brief
A recent ruling from the federal appeals court in Washington, D.C. has put a hold on new restrictions from the Transportation Department that would have restricted which immigrants can obtain commercial driver's licenses. The court criticized the government for not following proper procedures and highlighted data indicating that licensed immigrants are involved in significantly fewer fatal crashes compared to their percentage in the licensing system. This ruling impacts a controversial regulation tied to the aftermath of a fatal truck crash involving an undocumented driver, raising questions about safety and licensing practices in the trucking industry.
The Transportation Department’s new restrictions that would severely limit which immigrants can get commercial driver’s licenses to drive a semitrailer truck or bus have been put on hold by a federal appeals court.
The court in the District of Columbia ruled Thursday that the rules Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy announced in September a month after a truck driver not authorized to be in the U.S. made an illegal U-turn and caused a crash in Florida that killed three people can’t be enforced right now.
The court said the federal government didn’t follow proper procedure in drafting the rule and failed to “articulate a satisfactory explanation for how the rule would promote safety.” The court highlighted that the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s own data shows that immigrants who hold these licenses account for about 5% of all commercial driver’s licenses but only represent about 0.2% of all fatal crashes.
Duffy’s focus on this regulation stems from his findings in California, where many immigrants reportedly held licenses long after their work permits had expired. In a related move, California revoked 17,000 commercial driver’s licenses based on these inconsistencies.
Despite the ruling, the implications for future licensing practices and immigrant qualifications continue to pose significant questions within the industry, particularly as the government reviews licensing protocols across multiple states.
