Court Blocks CDL Ban as Data Shows Immigrant Truckers Are Among the Safest on U.S. Roads

(AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

A federal appeals court in Washington, D.C. has paused a new Department of Transportation rule that would have stripped commercial driver’s licenses (CDLs) from most non-citizen truckers. The court said the agency did not follow proper rule-making procedures and failed to provide evidence that the restrictions would improve road safety.

The blocked rule would have allowed only immigrants with H-2A, H-2B, or E-2 visas to hold CDLs. Out of roughly 200,000 non-citizen commercial drivers nationwide, only about 10,000 would have remained eligible effectively forcing more than 180,000 experienced drivers off the road.

Data Contradicts the Government’s Safety Claims

Federal transportation numbers reviewed by the court show:

• Immigrant and non-citizen drivers hold about 5% of all CDLs.

• They are involved in only 0.2% of fatal commercial-vehicle crashes.

This made it difficult for regulators to justify the rule, especially during a national driver shortage.

Key Political Figures

• Sean Duffy, U.S. Transportation Secretary, announced the rule, arguing it was necessary for safety.

• Gavin Newsom, Governor of California, was pulled into the debate after his state revoked 17,000 immigrant CDLs earlier this year following an audit tied to a fatal crash.

• OOIDA, a major trucking association, supported the restriction, though opponents argued that available safety data did not match the group’s claims.

  
  

What Happens Now

The stay is temporary, but it keeps current CDL rules in place while the court reviews whether the government legally and logically supported its new policy. The final decision could shape the future of immigrant workers in the trucking industry and the stability of the U.S. supply chain.