In brief
The Trump administration, led by Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, has threatened to withhold nearly $75 million from Pennsylvania unless the state rescinds commercial driver’s licenses awarded to immigrants, which the administration claims violate federal immigration laws. Following a tragic accident involving an undocumented driver, this demand targets licenses that have been issued despite alleged immigration status issues. Governor Josh Shapiro's office has stated that the state is cooperating, but also argues that federal databases must be improved to ensure accurate verification of immigrant eligibility.
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Trump administration threatened Thursday to withhold nearly $75 million in funding if Pennsylvania does not immediately revoke what the administration claims are illegally issued commercial driver’s licenses to immigrants.
The move by U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy follows similar actions against California, both states being led by Democratic governors who have often criticized President Trump's policies and who are considered potential contenders for the 2028 presidential nomination.
Duffy’s renewed focus on this issue emerged following a fatal accident in Florida caused by a commercial driver not legally authorized to be in the U.S. This incident has fueled the push for stricter scrutiny over how commercial licenses are issued.
The Trump administration's letter to Governor Josh Shapiro highlighted an audit revealing that two out of 150 licenses were issued to individuals whose legal status is questionable. The administration now demands that Pennsylvania pause the issuance of new, renewed, and transferred commercial driver’s licenses until it ensures compliance with federal eligibility rules.
The state has stopped issuing licenses to noncitizens since a federal regulation in September severely limited immigrant eligibility, although a court has temporarily blocked this regulation. Governor Shapiro stated that Pennsylvania verifies applicants' lawful presence through the Department of Homeland Security’s database before issuing any licenses, yet he underscored concerns about the reliability of this system, citing recent controversies surrounding the database's management.
During a recent press conference, Shapiro pointed out issues with the federal database after the arrest of an Uzbek national who held a Pennsylvania commercial license and was wanted for terrorism in his home country. Despite checks being conducted before the license was issued, doubts regarding the federal database's upkeep were raised.
“They clearly are not minding the shop,” Shapiro commented on the database management. “We rely on the feds before issuing these licenses. Improvements are essential.”
