Federal government orders California DMV to cancel licenses for 13,000 immigrant truck drivers

The federal government has ordered the California Department of Motor Vehicles to cancel the licenses of nearly 13,000 immigrant truck drivers across the state, leaving them unable to work and raising concerns about the impact on California’s trucking industry.

The affected drivers include those with visas, refugee status, or asylum status who had obtained legal work authorization and commercial driver’s licenses, or CDLs. According to officials, the cancellations stem from mistakes the DMV made with expiration dates for thousands of licensed drivers. Those dates exceeded the time drivers were legally allowed to remain in the United States.

The DMV had planned to correct the error, but a federal court blocked that effort.

An organization representing some of the impacted drivers said the decision could have far-reaching consequences.

“Immigrant truck drivers who have been in the country lawfully, who have obtained legal work authorization, have earned their CDLs, and basically a state has just decided none of that counts,” Bhupinder Kaur of the Freedom Drivers Coalition said.

In a statement, DMV Director Steve Gordon said the federal administration is using its war on immigration to remove qualified, hardworking commercial drivers who meet language and safety rules from the workforce.

Some in the industry warn that the effects could be felt statewide.

“It’s devastating, it’s going to be felt everywhere,” said Jaime Gutiérrez, a truck driver.

The trucking industry is already facing a worker shortage nationwide, with nearly 80,000 drivers needed across the country.

“There are no guarantees that additional solutions will emerge to help these drivers and their employers, but in the meantime, they should take immediate steps to obtain a Class C license and be able to drive regular vehicles,” said Steve Gordon.

The DMV will offer priority appointments to affected drivers by calling (916) 306-5153. They will need to pay the application fee, pass the vision test, and have a new photo taken at their appointment. Those who wish to apply for a driver’s license should check the DMV website for a list of required documents.

This story was originally reported for broadcast by NBC San Diego. AI tools helped convert the story to a digital article, and an NBC San Diego journalist edited the article for publication.