California: California has decided to postpone the cancellation of nearly 17,000 commercial driver’s licences following a lawsuit filed by Sikh and immigrant advocacy groups, offering temporary relief to affected truck and bus drivers. The revocations, initially expected to take effect earlier, have now been deferred until March.
The legal action was brought by the Sikh Coalition along with the Asian Law Caucus, which argued that immigrant drivers were being unfairly singled out despite meeting legal requirements to hold commercial licences. The groups filed a class-action suit on behalf of drivers who received notices declaring their licences invalid.
The delay comes amid mounting pressure from the federal government. US Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy has warned that California could lose up to $160 million in federal transportation funding if it does not comply with a January 5 deadline tied to licence enforcement standards. According to federal officials, $40 million has already been withheld over concerns that the state is not properly enforcing English-language proficiency rules for commercial drivers.
California officials had begun issuing invalidation notices after federal audits raised concerns that some licences remained active even after work permits had expired. The federal government has also flagged similar issues in Pennsylvania, Minnesota and New York, threatening funding cuts if corrective measures are not taken.
Duffy has maintained a firm stance, stating on social media that California has no permission to delay compliance with federal law. He emphasized that stricter enforcement is aimed at improving road safety and preventing unqualified drivers from operating commercial vehicles.
Public scrutiny of immigrant truck drivers increased following several fatal crashes, including one in Florida last August and another in California in October, both involving drivers who were reportedly in the country without authorization. These incidents intensified calls for tighter oversight of commercial licensing.
Advocacy groups, however, argue that broad enforcement measures risk harming law-abiding drivers. Munmeeth Kaur, legal director of the Sikh Coalition, said the state’s decision to pause the revocations provides crucial short-term relief for drivers whose jobs and families depend on their licences.
Immigrants account for roughly one-fifth of truck drivers nationwide, while non-domiciled commercial licences represent about five percent of all such licences issued, according to reports. With the March deadline now in place, California authorities have additional time to review cases and determine which drivers remain legally eligible to continue working.
