Court blocks federal immigrant CDL restrictions
The D.C. Circuit on Thursday stayed U.S. DOT’s new rule that would have limited commercial driver’s licenses for noncitizens to holders of H‑2A, H‑2B or E‑2 visas, finding the agency skipped proper procedure and failed to justify safety benefits. The rule—spurred by several fatal crashes—would have required immigration‑status checks and cut eligibility to roughly 10,000 of 200,000 noncitizen CDL holders; California this week revoked 17,000 CDLs amid audits tied to the issue. The stay halts enforcement nationwide, preserving current licensing standards while litigation proceeds.
📌 Key Facts
- D.C. Circuit issued a stay on Nov. 13, 2025, blocking DOT’s immigrant CDL rule
- FMCSA data cited: immigrants hold ~5% of CDLs but account for ~0.2% of fatal crashes
- Rule limited eligibility to H‑2A, H‑2B, E‑2 visas and would affect ~190,000 existing noncitizen CDL holders at renewal; California revoked 17,000 CDLs this week