California has initiated a massive crackdown on 17,000 commercial driver's licenses issued to immigrants, revoking them in an effort to bring the state in line with federal regulations. The move comes after the Trump administration raised concerns that these licenses were being issued to individuals who are not authorized to work in the US.
The revocation decision was made by Governor Gavin Newsom's office, despite claims from the Transportation Secretary, Sean Duffy, that California had been acting improperly and had received guidance from the US Department of Homeland Security on issuing licenses to non-citizens. However, Duffy has insisted that California is only now taking action after weeks of denying any wrongdoing.
The new regulations introduced by Duffy make it extremely difficult for immigrants to obtain commercial driver's licenses, with only three specific classes of visa holders eligible for them. The licenses will be valid for up to one year unless the applicant's visa expires sooner and must be verified through a federal database.
Under these rules, only 10,000 out of 200,000 non-citizens who hold commercial licenses would qualify for them, sparking concerns that many drivers will not meet the new standards. The Transportation Department has warned California that if it does not address its licensing standards, it risks losing an additional $160 million in federal funding.
The revocation decision has sparked debate about the role of states and federal governments in regulating who can drive commercial vehicles. Critics argue that the move disproportionately targets immigrants and could have significant economic implications for the trucking industry.
The revocation decision was made by Governor Gavin Newsom's office, despite claims from the Transportation Secretary, Sean Duffy, that California had been acting improperly and had received guidance from the US Department of Homeland Security on issuing licenses to non-citizens. However, Duffy has insisted that California is only now taking action after weeks of denying any wrongdoing.
The new regulations introduced by Duffy make it extremely difficult for immigrants to obtain commercial driver's licenses, with only three specific classes of visa holders eligible for them. The licenses will be valid for up to one year unless the applicant's visa expires sooner and must be verified through a federal database.
Under these rules, only 10,000 out of 200,000 non-citizens who hold commercial licenses would qualify for them, sparking concerns that many drivers will not meet the new standards. The Transportation Department has warned California that if it does not address its licensing standards, it risks losing an additional $160 million in federal funding.
The revocation decision has sparked debate about the role of states and federal governments in regulating who can drive commercial vehicles. Critics argue that the move disproportionately targets immigrants and could have significant economic implications for the trucking industry.
. like, the feds are just saying the state wasnt following the rules and now they're revoking them 
. i get it, security matters, but can't they just have a more nuanced approach? 10,000 non-citizens out of 200k holders dont seem like that many to me 
. and $160 million in federal funding is a pretty big deal 
. imo, california should've had clearer guidelines from the start instead of playing catch-up 
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This is a total mess. CA is basically forcing 17k people to lose their livelihoods over some tiny issue with driver's licenses 
. The fact that only 10k of those affected are even eligible for new licenses is just cherry-picking 
. It's like they're trying to break the spirits of the trucking industry, which already has enough issues 
?
these people are already struggling enough as its and now they gotta deal with this bs too 10k ppl will qualify for those licenses under new rules thats like 1% of the total non-citizens holding commercial licenses what about everyone else theyre just gonna be left in the dust
. And what about the trucking industry?! They're gonna lose an extra $160 million in funding because of this?! That's devastating 
Either you follow the rules or you don't, you know? It's not that hard. And what about the people who are already driving these commercial vehicles? What happens to them?! Do they just have to magically become citizens overnight?! 
! I'm all for safety, but let's find a way to do it that doesn't hurt so many innocent people 
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I just think it's a mess, you know? California is basically playing politics with people's livelihoods. Like, what even is the point of having laws if they're just gonna be used to target a specific group? It's not like these drivers are hurting anyone, they're just trying to make a living. And now you've got thousands of people losing their licenses and it's gonna cause a huge mess in the trucking industry. I'm all for accountability and following the rules, but come on, Governor Newsom needs to use his head here 
This whole situation is like a big mess, right? But let's try to make sense out of it 
. California was following its own rules, and now they have to change because of what the feds say 
. But is it fair to take away licenses from people who are already contributing to society? 
That's the real question here. Maybe this is an opportunity for us all to think about how we can work together better, like a big team effort 
. We need to remember that everyone has a role to play, even if it's not always easy or clear-cut 
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meanwhile california is just being super reckless 
gotta give props to sean Duffy tho for speaking up and trying to bring some sense to this mess 
. Now imagine taking away the licenses of half those drivers 
It's crazy! 200k licenses and only 10k will qualify under these new rules 
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$160 million is a big chunk of change. I'd love to see a breakdown of how that's gonna be affected by California's licensing standards 
. The new rules are really harsh and it's like California is trying to control everything. What if they don't meet the standards? Like, what's the point of having a license if you can't drive 
This is crazy, I don't get why they're doing this... like, what's the point? It's not like it's gonna make a huge difference in traffic or safety 
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It's like California's trying to solve one problem by creating another 
i mean, what's next? Are they gonna start revoking ppl's passports too? and the economic impact on trucking drivers? like, that's a whole other level of messed up 
[ GIF of a bus driving off a cliff ]
. I mean, what about all the hard work they've put into building a life and earning a living? These people are just trying to make ends meet, and now they're being punished for it 
.
. I'm all for following regulations, but this feels like a big overreach 
