California has delayed revoking thousands of commercial driver's licenses held by migrants, setting the stage for a new showdown with Washington.
The Department of Motor Vehicles announced Tuesday that 17,000 migrant truck drivers whose licenses were revoked can now keep them for an additional 60 days, which could give drivers the opportunity to retake the tests and do what they need to do to remain legal.
“Commercial drivers are a critical part of our economy—our supply chains don't move and our communities don't stay connected without them,” DMV Director Steve Gordon said in a statement after the extension.
U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy responded by threatening to cut California's federal funding by $160 million if the state fails to meet a Jan. 5 deadline to revoke unverified foreign trucker licenses.
“There is NO 'expansion' in California that would continue to break the law and put Americans at risk on the roads,” Duffy published on X.
He previously withheld $40 million in federal funding from California over its failure to pass English proficiency tests for truck drivers.
California's decision to delay revoking licenses comes days after Sikh coalition and the Asian Law Caucus filed a class action lawsuit alleging that the DMV failed to offer adequate remedies to injured drivers, refused to renew or issue new commercial driver's licenses, and violated their rights.
The 60-day extension allows drivers whose licenses expire on January 5th to continue driving until March 6th.
“This is one small positive step forward,” said Manpreet Kaur, vice mayor of Bakersfield, home to many migrant truckers. “We were extremely excited to see this in the community here in Bakersfield.”
Bakersfield is a freight hub in the Central Valley and home to a large Punjabi Sikh community that was impacted by the decision to revoke licenses. Kaur said truckers have been unfairly targeted in a political battle between state policies and federal regulations.
Punjabi Sikhs are a pillar of the American trucking industry. The trucking industry employs an estimated 150,000 people, most of whom live on the West Coast.
Commercial licenses for non-US drivers became a political flashpoint in 2025 after an illegal trucker from Punjab was involved in a crash in Florida that killed three people.
A federal audit found that many commercial licenses issued to immigrant drivers expire well after the immigrant truckers' legal stay in the United States.
Critics argue that drivers should not be penalized for DMV technical errors.
“I believe that all 17,000 truckers will be able to benefit from [commercial driver’s license] “Safe drivers will have no problem passing the test by March,” said Matt Cartwright, a transportation and personal injury lawyer and former U.S. representative for Pennsylvania.
The extension can be used for more thorough verification, such as checking status, confirming qualifications and documenting the process so the public can trust the result and ensure safety, said Trey Gober of the law firm LGR.
Trucking trade groups once complained about a driver shortage and welcomed immigrant drivers. The associations now claim that shortages no longer exist due to decline in cargo transportation and support a federal crackdown on foreign drivers. Some supported the decision to fire unqualified drivers who I can't read road signs.
One new issue that could arise from the re-filing is whether “by subjecting to the new rules, immigrants with revoked licenses waive any right to file a wrongful revocation claim,” said attorney Doug Burnetti, who closely follows the policy changes.
“I suspect this may be fact-specific and case-by-case, but if I were representing the federal government, I would say that reapplication under the new rules removes any objection to revocation under the old rules,” Brunetti said.
On the other hand, he said, truckers say they have no choice but to reapply to try to get their licenses back.
“It's an interesting question that a judge will ultimately have to decide,” he said.
