Trump’s Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy Warns Pennsylvania: $75 Million is on the Line if State Doesn’t Revoke Illegally Issued Licenses from Dangerous Foreign Drivers

Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration ^ | Thursday, November 20, 2025 | FMCSA

[Governor Dinwiddie]

The Department’s nationwide audit exposed that Pennsylvania has issued licenses to ineligible and unqualified foreign drivers

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy today announced that the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) found Pennsylvania violated existing federal safety regulations by issuing non-domiciled commercial driver’s licenses (CDLs) illegally – including to ineligible foreigners without verifying their legal status. The Department will withhold nearly $75 million in federal funding if the state does not immediately revoke these illegally issued licenses and correct dangerous failures USDOT identified in its CDL program.

ICE’s recent arrest of a suspected terrorist illegally in our country who was issued a license in Pennsylvania just this summer underscores the importance of the Secretary’s nationwide audit of non-domiciled CDLs, which commenced in June.

“Under President Trump, this Department is taking every measure to ensure dangerous foreign drivers aren’t illegally operating 40-ton vehicles on American roads,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy. “Joe Biden allowed tens of millions of illegals to pour into our country through open borders, including a suspected terrorist who Pennsylvania then allowed to get behind the wheel of a semitruck. I will continue to fight to get these dangerous drivers off our roads to protect American families and support our national security.”

In FMCSA’s review of Pennsylvania’s non-domiciled CDL issuance practices, FMCSA found numerous failures by Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) including:

Issuing non-domiciled CDLs with an expiration date that extended well beyond the driver’s authorized stay in the United States Failing to require any proof of lawful presence before issuing a CDL USDOT is now demanding that Pennsylvania take the following corrective measures to avoid funding being withheld:

Immediately pause the issuance of all new, renewed, transferred, or upgraded non-domiciled CDLs or commercial learner’s permits (CLPs). Conduct a comprehensive internal audit to identify every non-domiciled license that was issued in violation of federal regulations and the policies, practices, and procedures that allowed for the issuance of non-compliant licenses. Void or rescind all unexpired, noncompliant licenses and remove unqualified drivers from the road. Additional Information:

The announcement follows President Trump’s Executive Order earlier this year, which placed a renewed focus on roadway safety and directed the Department of Transportation to take swift action.

In September, Secretary Duffy announced an emergency action to drastically restrict who is eligible for non-domiciled CLPs and CDLs after a nationwide audit of non-domiciled CDLs highlighted systemic non-compliance across several states, including California.

In June, Secretary Duffy announced a nationwide audit of states issuing non-domiciled CDLs and unveiled a pro-trucker package that includes millions to expand truck parking, the removal of one-size-fits-all mandates, the modernization of driver resources, and the slashing of red tape.

In May, Secretary Duffy signed an order announcing new guidelines to strengthen English language enforcement for commercial truck operators. Under the new guidance, commercial motor vehicle (CMV) drivers who fail to comply with FMCSA longstanding English-language proficiency (ELP) requirements will be placed out-of-service.

In March, President Trump signed an executive order designating English as the official language of the United States.

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TOPICS: Business/Economy; Constitution/Conservatism; Crime/Corruption
KEYWORDS: aliens; audit; cdl; pennsylvania; transportation; trucking

[lapsus calami]

 

 

It's a horror show out there on the highways. I advise everyone to be wary in the vicinity of any 18 wheelers. I've seen a lot of wrecks that make no sense, shouldn't be happening that are now pretty well the norm. A lot of people operating those things that have no idea what they're doing, alien or not. Besides bad driving there's evidently not much attention to maintenance, bad securing of loads where they will shift or even fall off. Seen a number of incidents with trailers uncoupling since they didn't know how to hook them up properly. One day I saw the brakes lock up on a flatbed trailer rig. The driver's solution? Rev up the engine and dump the clutch, over and over again, evidently that'll get it unstuck from flat pavement. He did that between bouts of running around outside the truck in a frenzy, looking under the hood, at the tires. Finally he called someone who knew something about what to do, turns out he didn't hook up the brake air lines to the trailer properly, locking them up. Can only imagine if that would have happened if he had been zipping down an interstate at 70mph or so in the midst of traffic.

 

 

[dennisw]

Sean P. Duffy = honey badger.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4r7wHMg5Yjg
The Crazy Nastyass Honey Badger (original narration by Randall)

[Candor7]

What you say is true, anyone driving across country needs to be very wary.

Like I said, “It’s demographic warfare against America.”

[lapsus calami]

 

 

It's straight up amateur hour out there. That profession is undergoing the same kind of destruction many others are, standards have gotten lowered just to get someone, ANYone to fill the vacancies. Am afraid we are gonna see a lot of carnage in the years to come, and not just in trucking, unless something changes.

 

 

[gildafarrell]

Oh yeah. Keep that $75 million taxpayer funds indefinitely.