US: Over 200,000 immigrant truck drivers set to lose licences
Babuhshahi Bureau
Washington (US), April 3, 2026 : A sweeping regulatory crackdown in the United States is set to impact nearly 200,000 immigrant truck drivers, many of whom could lose their commercial driving licences as new rules tighten eligibility and enforcement.
The policy, introduced under former President Donald Trump’s administration, restricts the renewal of Commercial Driver’s Licences (CDLs) for several categories of non-citizens, including asylum seekers, refugees and DACA recipients. While licences are not being cancelled immediately, thousands of drivers will be forced out of the workforce as their permits expire without the option of renewal.
The move is part of a broader effort led by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) to phase out “non-domiciled” CDLs.
Officials argue that verifying foreign driving records and work authorisation documents remains a challenge, raising concerns over road safety and regulatory oversight.
The latest rule follows months of legal battles. A previous attempt to suspend such licences was temporarily blocked by a US court after a lawsuit by a truck driver, but enforcement remained inconsistent across states. Even after the court intervention, several states were slow to resume issuing these licences, and some never fully restarted the process.
With the updated rule introduced earlier this year, authorities have doubled down on restrictions. The US Department of Transportation has also directed multiple states—including Illinois, California, New York, and Pennsylvania—not to issue non-domiciled CDLs pending further review.
Only limited visa categories, such as temporary agricultural and non-agricultural workers, are now eligible under stricter conditions.
Officials estimate that the current framework could effectively remove up to 194,000 drivers from the system over time, significantly shrinking the immigrant workforce in the trucking sector.
The crackdown has also been accompanied by wider enforcement measures, including audits of driving schools and stricter checks on English language proficiency, further tightening entry barriers into the industry.
Immigrant drivers currently make up around 5 per cent of the US trucking workforce, a sector that transports more than 70 per cent of the country’s freight.Industry experts warn that the gradual loss of such a large workforce could worsen driver shortages, disrupt supply chains, and increase transportation costs..
Driver groups, however, have strongly opposed the move, arguing that it undermines their livelihoods despite years of work and investment in obtaining licences. Legal challenges against the rule are ongoing, but uncertainty continues to loom over thousands of immigrant drivers navigating an increasingly restrictive system.