DOT Secretary Accuses Newsom Of Lying, Says California Still Risks Losing $160M Over Illegal Licenses

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy accused Democratic California Gov. Gavin Newsom of lying, saying the state could lose nearly $160 million in federal funds if it fails to comply with a Jan. 5 deadline to revoke foreign trucker licenses.

A group of immigrant truckers sued California’s Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) days before Christmas, alleging the agency violated workers’ rights by planning to revoke thousands of unlawfully issued licenses. With the original deadline set for Jan. 5, the DMV released a statement Tuesday announcing the deadline would be extended to March 6.

However, in a post linking to a report on the announcement, Duffy said Newsom was not only “lying,” but that there would be no federally granted extension for the licenses. (RELATED: More Cash Flows Into American Truckers’ Pockets As Trump Cracks Down On Foreign Drivers)

“Gavin Newsom is lying. The deadline to revoke illegally issued, unvetted foreign trucker licenses is still January 5. California does NOT have an “extension” to keep breaking the law and putting Americans at risk on the roads. Miss the deadline, Gavin, and the @USDOT will act — including cutting nearly $160 million in federal funding,” Duffy wrote.

Following publication, Newsom’s office sent the Daily Caller News Foundation their online response to Duffy, in which they claimed his staff told the CA DMV they would allegedly be open to an extension.

“Sean, facts matter. YOUR staff told CA DMV they were open to an extension 8 days ago. In fact, FMCSA agreed an extension made logistical sense and was reasonable (in a meeting on Dec. 18)! DMV relied on that guidance and acted accordingly,” Newsom’s press office posted on X. “Only after the plan became public did your agency suddenly object. That’s not California ‘lying.’ That’s federal mismanagement — something we’ve unfortunately come to expect under your ‘leadership.’ Happy New Year!”

In the lawsuit filed on behalf of roughly 20,000 immigrant drivers and business owners living in California, the plaintiffs argue that DMV administrative errors have put thousands of drivers at risk of losing their commercial driver’s licenses (CDL) and, consequently, their livelihoods. The filing came after the DMV admitted it unlawfully issued 17,000 non-domiciled CDLs to migrant drivers in the state.

Duffy revealed the admission from the state’s DMV in November, saying the Department of Transportation (DOT) would “continue to force California to prove they have removed every illegal immigrant from behind the wheel of semitrucks and school buses.” However, in the truckers’ lawsuit challenging the revocation of their licenses, the plaintiffs argued that the move would cause thousands of drivers to lose “their hard-earned careers and impose severe financial and emotional hardships on the drivers and their families.”

In the DMV’s most recent press release announcing an extension, the department said the additional time will allow “the parties to find a solution that permits drivers to remain working to serve our communities,” adding that affected drivers “will be receiving letters shortly, informing them of the extension.”

“Commercial drivers are an important part of our economy — our supply chains don’t move, and our communities don’t stay connected without them,” California DMV Director Steve Gordon stated. “We are hopeful that our collaboration with the federal government will give FMCSA confidence in our updated processes to allow California to promptly resume issuance of nondomiciled commercial driver’s licenses.”

The California DMV did not respond to the DCNF’s request for comment.

In October, Duffy said California could risk losing $40 million in federal funds if it failed to comply with the Department of Transportation’s English-language requirements for truck drivers. The warning followed a major accident in which an illegal immigrant truck driver who received a CDL from California killed three people.

This story has been updated to include Newsom’s office response to the DCNF. 

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