California is moving to revoke 17,000 commercial driver’s licenses issued to immigrants, setting off a sharp confrontation between state officials and the Trump administration over how those licenses were granted and whether they ever complied with federal law.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy framed the action as a forced correction, accusing California of issuing licenses outside federal standards. He said the revocations follow federal pressure and claimed the state had been “caught red-handed” after initially defending its actions. According to the Department of Transportation, affected drivers have been told their licenses will no longer meet federal requirements and will expire within 60 days.
California officials reject that characterization. Gov. Gavin Newsom’s office responded directly, disputing each major claim from the federal government. The state argues the licenses were issued legally at the time, to individuals who had federal work authorization, and only later became an issue due to changes in federal enforcement or interpretation.
The administration also pushed back on the claim that the California DMV admitted wrongdoing, saying instead that the licenses conflicted with state law and were withdrawn on that basis.
🚛🚫 NO ENGLISH, NO LICENSE!
17,000 TRUCKERS pulled OUT OF SERVICE for failing to pass our English language proficiency test. And we will continue to take dangerous foreign drivers OFF THE ROAD.
Making America’s highways SAFE for you is a TOP priority for @POTUS, @USDOT, and… pic.twitter.com/J6P7cOSKQu
— Secretary Sean Duffy (@SecDuffy) March 25, 2026
At the center of the dispute is whether federal regulators are applying new standards retroactively. California points to guidance it says was previously approved by the Department of Homeland Security, while federal officials insist enforcement is based on long-standing rules.
Duffy maintained that California ignored original federal requirements, arguing that subsequent emergency actions were necessary because of the scale of noncompliance.
The timing of the revocations adds another layer. The decision came just before a scheduled court proceeding in Florida involving Harjinder Singh, a driver accused of causing a fatal crash that killed three people. Federal officials highlighted that case, along with another involving Jashanpreet Singh, to underscore concerns about licensing standards and driver qualifications.
Investigators in the Florida case said Harjinder Singh failed an English proficiency assessment and struggled to identify basic road signs during a federal interview. Authorities allege he attempted an illegal U-turn through a restricted access point, leading to a deadly collision. In the separate case, Jashanpreet Singh faces charges tied to a fatal crash where police reported no evidence of braking and confirmed impairment through toxicology tests.