DOT threatens to pull $73M from NY after audit finds half of commercial trucking licenses went to illegal drivers
WASHINGTON — Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy threatened Friday to yank $73 million in federal highway funding meant for New York after an audit found more than half of the Empire State’s commercial trucking licenses were issued to foreign-born drivers in the US illegally.
“What New York does is if an applicant comes in and they have a work authorization — for 30 days, 60 days, one year — New York automatically issues them an eight-year commercial driver’s license,” Duffy said during a press conference at DOT headquarters in DC Friday. “That’s contrary to the law.”
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“But we also found that New York many times won’t even verify whether they have a work authorization, they have a visa, or they’re in the country legally,” he added.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy threatened to yank $73 million in federal highway funding from New York after an audit found more than half of the state’s commercial trucking licenses were issued to foreign-born drivers in the US illegally. Ron Sachs – CNP for NY Post
“So they’re just giving eight-year commercial driver’s licenses to people who are coming through their DMV and sending them out on American roadways — and again they’re endangering the lives of American families.”
Duffy issued the warning after the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration examined 200 non-domiciled commercial driver’s licenses (CDLs) issued by the New York Department of Motor Vehicles and found 107 were unlawfully issued.
Currently, approximately 32,000 CDLs issued by the New York DMV are in use across America — despite The Post revealing in September that one migrant applicant didn’t even have to put a first name down to receive the driver’s license.
DOT officials also launched a probe Thursday into whether a Chinese national accused of causing a fatal pileup on a Tennessee highway this week was illegally issued a New York State driver’s license.
“Gov. Hochul must immediately revoke these illegally issued licenses. If they refuse to follow the law, we will withhold federal highway funding,” Duffy said. Brigitte Stelzer
“You don’t just drive in New York if you get a New York commercial driver’s license — you drive around the country,” Duffy stressed.
The transportation secretary is giving Hochul and her officials 30 days to revoke all the illegal CDLs, pause any new licenses or learner’s permits from being issued and conduct their own comprehensive audit — or have their federal funding pulled.
Asked whether the lost funds could delay the shipment of goods, Duffy responded: “At the end of the day, it’s about safety. Good carriers who are out there, who are employing drivers are going to ensure that they are safe and they will work together with the shippers to ensure that we have goods that are moving across America.”
“What we uncovered in New York is not an administrative oversight,” added FMCSA Administrator Derek Barrs at the presser.
“It’s a systematically, grossly unacceptable deviation from a federal safety regulation that has been on the books for a long period of time.”
The FMCSA audit sampled 200 CDL records, of which 107 were unlawfully issued, the US Department of Transportation revealed in a press release. U.S. Department of Homeland Security
NYS DMV spokesperson Walter McClure responded in a statement: “Secretary Duffy is lying about New York State once again in a desperate attempt to distract from the failing, chaotic administration he represents.”
“Here is the truth: Commercial Drivers Licenses are regulated by the Federal Government, and New York State DMV has, and will continue to, comply with federal rules. Every CDL we issue is subject to verification of an applicant’s lawful status through federally-issued documents reviewed in accordance with federal regulations. This is just another stunt from Secretary Duffy, and it does nothing to keep our roads safer. We will review USDOT’s letter and respond accordingly.”
DOT officials also launched a probe Thursday into whether a Chinese national accused of causing a fatal pileup on a Tennessee highway this week was illegally issued a New York State driver’s license. AP
Half of all CDLs are issued either in New York or California, the federal officials noted, before calling on both states to revoke the unlawfully issued licenses.
In the Golden State, Duffy said, 25% of CDLs were unlawfully issued and Sacramento responded by revoking at least 17,000 licenses.
However, the DOT chief said he was not letting Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom off the hook.
“California is the only state that’s unwilling to enforce English proficiency rules,” the secretary noted.
“And how you can get a license when you’re not proficient in English in California begs the question: What the hell is going on in California?”
