US Tightens CDL Rules, Affecting About 200,000 Immigrant Truckers

A new Transportation Department rule will bar many noncitizens—mostly legal residents, including asylum seekers, refugees and DACA recipients—from obtaining or renewing commercial driver’s licenses, with existing licenses remaining valid until expiration. The administration says tighter vetting of overseas driving histories is needed after crashes, but critics argue there’s no proven link between nationality and safety. Effects will unfold gradually as licenses expire, potentially raising labor and consumer costs. The crackdown comes with broader enforcement on English-language requirements and the revocation of about 3,000 training centers, and lawsuits and political efforts to expand restrictions are already underway.