California’s long-running experiment with bending the rules has hit another legal speed bump. A group of migrant truckers has filed a lawsuit against the California Department of Motor Vehicles after the state canceled nearly 20,000 Commercial Driver’s Licenses—moves that came only after pressure from the Trump administration to finally enforce federal law. Amazing how accountability suddenly becomes “controversial” when it’s required.
The lawsuit, filed earlier this week by the Asian Law Caucus, the Sikh Coalition, and the law firm Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP, challenges California’s decision to revoke thousands of CDLs that were issued to illegal immigrant truckers. The federal crackdown followed a string of fatal crashes involving illegal immigrant drivers, prompting the Department of Transportation to label California one of the worst offenders in issuing commercial licenses to individuals not legally authorized to be in the country.
After federal officials threatened to withhold $160 million in funding, California sent roughly 17,000 drivers a 60-day cancellation notice. According to the Los Angeles Times, federal authorities determined that the licenses’ expiration dates exceeded the length of time the migrants were legally permitted to remain in the United States. In other words, the paperwork finally caught up with reality.
The plaintiffs argue that California law requires the DMV to adjust expiration dates or allow drivers to reapply for corrected licenses when errors occur. Sikh Coalition legal director Munmeeth Kaur said the state has an obligation to help the nearly 20,000 affected drivers, claiming the situation stems from clerical errors made by the DMV itself. She warned that without court intervention, the state could see widespread unemployment and disruptions to supply chains. Because, apparently, enforcing immigration and safety laws is now considered bad for business.
Kaur added that these drivers have spent years building careers and now face economic hardship “through no fault of their own,” insisting California “must do better.” Asian Law Caucus senior staff attorney Katherine Zhao echoed that sentiment, calling for an immediate court-ordered stay and arguing the state has a “moral obligation” to protect these workers.
What the lawsuit doesn’t gloss over is why the federal government stepped in to begin with. One illegal immigrant trucker issued a California CDL allegedly killed three people after making an illegal U-turn on a Florida turnpike in August. Harjinder Singh, an Indian national, was captured in viral dashcam footage appearing unfazed by the deadly crash.
Investigators later revealed Singh had failed his commercial driving test 10 times in just three months before eventually receiving a license in Washington and later California. After the fatal crash, Singh also failed an English language proficiency test, correctly answering only two of twelve verbal questions and identifying just one of four highway traffic signs, according to the Department of Transportation. But sure—what could possibly go wrong?
This case highlights exactly why the Trump administration pushed for stricter enforcement: public safety matters, and commercial driver’s licenses are not participation trophies. The lawsuit will play out in court, but the principle remains clear—laws exist for a reason, especially when lives are on the line. Upholding standards, protecting taxpayers, and keeping America’s roads safe isn’t radical policy; it’s responsible leadership. And that’s something worth ending on a positive note.
