Dive Brief:
- New York is suing the federal government and transportation leaders over a $73.5 million funding loss as the sides dispute whether the state has properly issued non-domiciled commercial driver licenses and learners’ permits.
- The state says the U.S. Department of Transportation has been pressuring it for months to revoke certain CDLs held by non-citizen drivers and contends the licenses issued comply with federal standards, including legal immigration status.
- “New York has always followed federal rules when issuing CDLs, something even the previous Trump Administration verified year after year,” New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said in a press release. “Ripping away money that goes towards critical safety upgrades on our roads is reckless and it is illegal.”
Dive Insight:
Like New York, California is challenging the pending removal of $158.3 million in federal funding due to alleged noncompliance in granting certain non-domiciled CDLs.
Funding removal threats first came after the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration said annual reviews showed several states approved CDLs with dates that extended beyond expiration dates of immigration documents.
Funding losses for these states would begin in fiscal 2027, which starts in October. The money supports road maintenance, safety improvements and infrastructure upgrades, New York noted in its release. The state is suing the Department of Transportation, the FMCSA, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy and FMCSA Administrator Derek Barrs in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit in New York.
Meanwhile, groups of non-domiciled commercial drivers in California and and Florida are also suing in local and federal courts, respectively, over lapses in driving privileges. In the lawsuits, the drivers said their livelihoods were disrupted as states tried to comply with the federal government’s standards.
The federal government previously said that thousands of non-domiciled drivers in New York likely have noncompliant driving privileges, calling on the state to revoke those licenses and permits.
