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Feds withhold $160 million over immigrant truckers’ licenses

January 8, 2026

Gov. Gavin Newsom

By KAREN VELIE

After California delayed cancelling immigrant truckers’ licenses, the Trump administration announced on Wednesday it will withhold $160 million in funding to the Golden State.

California had planned to revoke 17,000 commercial driver’s licenses by Jan. 5 that the feds said were improperly issued to illegal immigrants. However, an immigrant rights groups brought a lawsuit.

California then paused its plan and the feds announced the withholding of funds.

“It’s reckoning day for Gavin Newsom and California,” Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said in a statement. “Our demands were simple: follow the rules, revoke the unlawfully-issued licenses to dangerous foreign drivers, and fix the system so this never happens again. Gavin Newsom has failed to do so — putting the needs of illegal immigrants over the safety of the American people.”

 


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Good!!!!


Illegals should not be behind the wheel in a semi truck. If they can’t read or speak English then they can’t read the road signs and are,a danger to everyone else tgat is on the road, END OF DISCUSSION!!!!!


62

I agree they should give them commercial pilots license and see how it works out.


-1

The issue is not so much a driver shortage is that US drivers are starting to wise up and not work for the bottom feeder trucking company’s, swift, knight, prime and several others pay below what US drivers should be paid, the govt gives incentives to these companys to train and hire drivers,and pays a portion of their wages and after a period of time 1 to 2 years they find a way to get rid of drivers because the pay scale was to go up and a new batch is brought in, there is a revolving door for many companys, the people that are causing all the accidents we have been seeing are quite often illegal and can not read nor speak english, take the driver a few days ago that got stuck in the median at the 46/41 interchange, he missed the signage for where he wanted to go so he attempted a u turn in the mud and shut down the highway, o and there are signs that say no u turns, these illegals work for half pay scale than we do and this is what we get.


54

I’m so tired of living in a one-party rule state. I don’t understand why voters continue to support a Democrat to RUN California when it’s been RUN into the ground by them. Newsom’s entire goal is to bad-mouth Trump. He’s doing nothing to improve lives here in his own state. We have the highest taxes, most homelessness despite billions being spent toward it, the highest housing prices, highest energy prices, and are constantly dictated on what we can and cannot do in this state. It’s very sad because it’s such a beautiful state. Many, and I do mean many, of my friends have left this state because of its poor governance. They can’t afford to live here any longer, even though they were born and raised here. Our children and grandchildren can’t afford to live here. It’s very sad and we need change. PLEASE vote for a person who can save this state from complete destruction!


52

I always hear that illegals pay taxes. Does this include income taxes (we all pay taxes at a store)? If so, isn’t that taxation without representation? They can’t vote. And with no social security number how does this work?


11

Who says they can’t vote?


0

I suspect that the taxes that are being referred to are basically sales taxes. To be sure, those making this claim will dodge answering your question.


-1

Was there a shortage of US citizen drivers?… why do this in the first place?…


35

See the reply above.


0

40% of California truck drivers are of Punjabi Sikh descent. I wonder who will replace them?


-32

Did you ask this question of the California commercial truck drivers the Punjabi drivers replaced??? No, of course you didn’t! You just believed the constant B.S. about how we must flood our nation with illiterate immigrants because only they will do jobs that Americans refuse to do. Well, Americans aren’t refusing to be truck drivers. Perhaps some of the men and women who will replace the ILLEGALLY LICENSED DANGEROUS IMMIGRANT DRIVERS are the same American citizens who drove trucks BEFORE their wages were undercut and positions replaced by the International Criminal Trespassers.


20

The vast majority of Sikh drivers are citizens or are here legally. There are dozens of legitimate Sikh trucking businesses on the West Coast. The argument that white Americans in the 21st century want to drive long haul trucks is about as false as the claim that white Americans will pick strawberries if farmers just raised wages for such labor. But don’t let me stop you from denigrating an immigrant community that has been highly productive for the U.S. economy.


-4

Do you wonder or are you being glib? Is saving $0.12 on amazon worth the carnage these drivers bring to the road? I’m assuming for you, it is


3

In other words, make truck driving white again. And, yes, drivers of color do, per capita, have higher numbers of traffic fatalities. It will be interesting to see what effect on the economy DOT’s quest to eliminate all foreign born drivers will have. They represent a significant percentage of the workforce. Not sure there are white Americans who would drive long hail no matter how much you paid them.


1

Outstanding!


65

Ha ha Newsom, your scams are being unearthed. You’re done.


38

Holding my breath (figuratively speaking)) awaiting what additional carnage our Governor will visit upon California before he moves along.


0