U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy sharply rejected California’s claim that the state has secured more time to cancel thousands of commercial driver’s licenses issued to non-citizens, saying the deadline remains unchanged and that no extension has been granted.
The dispute centers on roughly 17,000 commercial driver’s licenses (CDLs) held by foreign nationals in California that state authorities planned to revoke because of concerns about how those licenses were issued. California’s Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) announced it would delay revoking the licenses until March 6, 2026 following legal challenges from immigrant advocacy groups.
However, Duffy took to the social media platform X (formerly Twitter) to say the state’s extension has no legal basis under federal rules. He wrote that California does not have an extension to delay enforcement and that the original January 5 deadline is still in effect.
“California does NOT have an ‘extension’ to keep breaking the law and putting Americans at risk on the roads,” Duffy said, warning that missing the deadline could prompt the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) to act, including cutting up to $160 million in federal transportation funding.
The announcement highlights an ongoing standoff between the federal government and California over the handling of commercial driver licensing for non-citizens. The California DMV’s decision to delay was framed as a necessary step to avoid wrongfully terminating licenses for drivers who may legally qualify to hold them, especially as a class-action lawsuit filed by groups including the Asian Law Caucus and Sikh Coalition moves through court.
Supporters of the lawsuit argue that some affected drivers have valid documentation and should not lose the ability to work simply because of administrative mismatches in license expiration dates. Critics, including Duffy, contend that allowing licenses to remain in force beyond the established federal deadline undermines safety and compliance with national standards.
As tensions escalate, California officials insist they are working to address federal concerns and ensure compliance, but Duffy’s comments make clear the federal government does not recognize any delay that goes beyond Jan. 5 without explicit approval — approval he says has not been given.