Sean Duffy Blocks $40 Million in DOT Funds to California Over English-Language Rule Refusal [WATCH]

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy announced Thursday that California will lose more than $40 million in federal transportation funding after refusing to comply with the Department of Transportation’s (DOT) English language proficiency requirements for commercial truck drivers, as reported by the Western Journal.

According to a DOT news release, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) will withhold $40,685,225 in Motor Carrier Safety Assistance Program (MCSAP) grants until the state enforces federal rules requiring commercial drivers to demonstrate English-language proficiency.

“I put states on notice this summer: enforce the Trump Administration’s English language requirements or the checks stop coming,” Duffy said.

“California is the only state in the nation that refuses to ensure big rig drivers can read our road signs and communicate with law enforcement. This is a fundamental safety issue that impacts you and your family on America’s roads.”

Duffy added that he regretted the funding loss for California law enforcement but said the decision was unavoidable.

“Let me be clear — this is valuable money that should be going to the great men and women in California law enforcement, who we support. Gov. Newsom’s insistence on obstructing federal law has tied my hands,” he said.

The withheld MCSAP grants fund activities such as roadside inspections, safety audits, traffic enforcement, and trucking safety education programs.

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Under federal law, commercial drivers must be able to “read and speak the English language sufficiently to converse with the general public, to understand highway traffic signs and signals in the English language, to respond to official inquiries, and to make entries on reports and records.”

This isn’t rocket science.

The foreign truck driver who made an illegal U-turn and killed 3 people in Florida earlier this year got his trucking license in California.

After the accident, he FAILED an English proficiency test.

This Administration cares about Americans being… pic.twitter.com/o3brNFgwzo

— Secretary Sean Duffy (@SecDuffy) October 16, 2025

California officials have maintained that the state’s commercial truck drivers have crash rates below the national average. However, the Department of Transportation said funding will not be restored until the state complies with the federal standards.

President Donald Trump signed an executive order in April requiring all commercial drivers to demonstrate English proficiency before obtaining or renewing a commercial driver’s license.

The order drew attention when California truck driver Vivak Sharma told KGO-TV that he could not renew his license because he does not speak English, despite living in the U.S. for a decade.

Duffy addressed the case directly on X, writing, “Crocodile tears for a man who has spent a decade in our country but couldn’t be bothered to learn our language. Our new rules will keep you and your family SAFE on America’s roads!”

Crocodile tears for a man who has spent a decade in our country but couldn’t be bothered to learn our language.

Our new rules will keep you and your family SAFE on America’s roads! https://t.co/alMR2VhmnA

— Secretary Sean Duffy (@SecDuffy) October 14, 2025

The DOT’s decision comes amid growing federal concern over the misuse of state-issued licenses by noncitizens. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) recently revealed that some illegal immigrants had obtained commercial driver’s licenses under false or incomplete names.

One case cited in a DHS release involved a man in New York who possessed a driver’s license under the name “No name given Anmol.” The suspect, an illegal immigrant, was detained by the Oklahoma Highway Patrol on Sept. 23 and later taken into federal custody.

“Allowing illegal aliens to obtain commercial driver’s licenses to operate 18-wheelers and transport hazardous materials on America’s roads is reckless and incredibly dangerous to public safety,” DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said.

“New York is not only failing to check if applicants applying to drive 18-wheelers are U.S. citizens but even failing to obtain the full legal names of individuals they are issuing commercial drivers’ licenses to.”

McLaughlin said DHS continues to coordinate with state and local agencies to identify and remove illegal alien truck drivers operating in violation of U.S. law.

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