Federal Appeals Court Blocks New Immigrant Driver's License Restrictions

Fri Nov 14 2025 20:06:32 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

A recent ruling by the D.C. federal appeals court has put a hold on new restrictions that would limit immigrants from obtaining commercial driver's licenses in the U.S. The case arose following a tragic crash involving an unauthorized driver in Florida.

The U.S. federal appeals court has temporarily blocked the Transportation Department's new rules that would restrict commercial driver's licenses for immigrants. The court concluded that the Department failed to follow proper procedures and provided insufficient safety justifications for the changes. The restrictions were prompted by concerns following fatal truck-related accidents involving unauthorized drivers.

A federal appeals court in Washington, D.C., has halted the Transportation Department's new regulations aimed at restricting which immigrants can obtain commercial driver's licenses for vehicles like semitrailers and buses. This ruling came in response to concerns over a recent fatal accident involving an unauthorized driver in Florida, which led to the announcement of these restrictions by Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy in September.

The court's decision highlighted that the Department did not adhere to appropriate procedural practices when crafting the new rules and did not convincingly demonstrate how the restrictions would enhance road safety. Data noted by the court revealed that immigrants with these licenses represented only a small fraction of fatal crashes compared to their presence among all commercial driver's licenses.

Secretary Duffy's focus on this issue has been particularly pronounced in California, following the revelation that the driver responsible for the Florida accident had received his license in the state. In a related development, California authorities recently revoked 17,000 commercial driver’s licenses due to concerns that many such licenses remained valid even after the holders' work permits had expired.

Questions surrounding the licensure of commercial drivers have gained urgency in light of recent vehicular accidents involving unauthorized immigrants, underscoring the need for stricter regulations in this area. Under the proposed restrictions, only 10,000 of the 200,000 noncitizens currently holding commercial licenses would qualify in the future, leaving vast numbers of drivers unaffected by the changes immediately. This suggests a move toward tighter checks on immigration status and qualification under federal guidelines.

Duffy and state officials have yet to comment publicly on the implications of the court ruling, which may reshape the enforcement landscape for commercial driver’s licenses across several states.