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.
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📌 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
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November 14, 2025