On Monday, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy threatened to withhold $24 million in federal highway funding from Colorado over a federal audit that found 22 % of the state’s commercial driver licenses were issued illegally, many to Mexican nationals.
The Audit and the Illegal Licenses
A nationwide audit conducted in October revealed that roughly 22 % of the commercial licenses issued by Colorado to immigrants were illegal. The audit highlighted that many of those licenses were issued to Mexican nationals, a practice prohibited under federal law.
Duffy’s Threats and Colorado’s Response
Duffy accused Colorado of “slow walking” the required purge of these licenses. He said the state has failed to complete a full audit, provide a complete accounting of affected drivers, or revoke the invalid credentials despite being notified of non-compliance.
Colorado Governor Jared Polis called the situation a case of “crossed-wires.” Polis said that if Duffy had reached out, he would know that the state has “finished the investigation and we are conducting a final review of the findings, with letters likely going out this week to CDL holders whose credentials were improperly issued.” He added that the state is working quickly to revoke these licenses.
Duffy also warned that the Transportation Department has the authority to decertify Colorado’s entire CDL program if the state does not act swiftly. He said, “Every day that goes by is another day unqualified, unvetted foreign truckers are jeopardizing the safety of you and your family.”
State-Level Actions and Wider Implications
Colorado’s Division of Motor Vehicles has paused the issuance and renewal of term-limited non-domiciled CDLs and commercial learner’s permits indefinitely, according to a report by the Denver Post. The pause is expected to remain in place pending an audit of all such licenses to ensure compliance with federal regulations.
The federal agency has also threatened to cut highway funding for other states, including New York, California, Pennsylvania, Minnesota, Texas, and South Dakota, as part of its effort to ensure that truck and bus drivers are properly qualified.
National Context and Other States
The review launched this summer became more prominent after a truck driver who was not authorized to be in the U.S. made an illegal U-turn and caused a crash in Florida that killed three people in August. The rules on these licenses have been in place for years, but the audit revealed that some states may not have even checked a driver’s immigration status before issuing a license.
Since Duffy began pressing the issue in California, that state has revoked some 21 000 commercial driver’s licenses that were issued improperly.
Key Takeaways
- The federal audit found 22 % of Colorado’s commercial driver licenses issued to immigrants were illegal.
- Governor Polis says the state is conducting a final review and will revoke invalid licenses.
- Duffy threatens to decertify Colorado’s CDL program and has warned other states to act.
The dispute underscores the federal government’s role in enforcing commercial driver licensing regulations and the potential impact on state funding and public safety.
