PNN – California authorities plan to cancel 17,000 driver’s licenses issued to migrants.
According to the report of Pakistan News Network, State officials say they will revoke these licenses because their expiration dates fell after the period during which the holders were legally allowed to remain in the United States.
The announcement comes after strong criticism from the Trump administration against California and several other states that issued driver’s licenses to people living in the U.S. without legal status.
U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said California’s move amounts to an admission that the state acted improperly, even though it had previously defended its licensing standards.
He added: After weeks of claiming they did nothing wrong, Governor Gavin Newsom and other officials were caught in the act. We exposed their lies, and now they must cancel 17,000 illegal driver’s licenses. My team is forcing California officials to revoke the licenses issued to undocumented migrants.
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The governor’s office meanwhile said that every driver whose license is being revoked still holds valid federal work authorization. At first, the office declined to explain why the licenses were being canceled, saying only that the action was required by law. Later, it clarified that the state law they relied on requires licenses to expire on or before the date a person’s lawful immigration status in the United States ends.
A series of deadly traffic accidents earlier this year raised serious questions about driver’s licenses issued to migrants. One fatal crash in California last month killed three people, including the driver, who was living in the U.S. without legal status. The incident fueled widespread public concern.
Earlier, the U.S. transportation secretary announced broad new restrictions on driver’s licenses for migrants. He said that California and five other states had improperly and illegally issued licenses to non-citizens, but California was the only state facing legal action because it was the first to undergo a full review. Reviews of the other states have been delayed due to the federal government shutdown, though the Department of Transportation has asked all of them to tighten their standards.
In addition, Duffy cut $40 million from California’s federal funding, saying the state had failed to enforce English-language requirements for drivers. On Wednesday, he warned that another $160 million would be withdrawn unless the state cancels the invalid licenses and addresses the department’s concerns.
The new rules for issuing driver’s licenses to migrants are far stricter, limiting eligibility to only three visa categories. Officials must verify each applicant’s immigration status. Licenses will be valid for no more than one year, or until the applicant’s visa expires—whichever comes first.
Under the new criteria, only 10,000 of the state’s 200,000 migrants qualify for a driver’s license. Eligible categories include holders of H-2A, H-2B, and E-2 visas.
When the 17,000 disputed licenses were first issued, these new rules were not yet in effect. However, the affected individuals have now been notified that their licenses will expire within 60 days.
The developments come just days after California’s Democratic governor, Gavin Newsom—one of Donald Trump’s most outspoken critics—sharply condemned the administration’s plans to begin new offshore drilling along California’s coast.
Speaking at a campaign rally in Houston, Newsom told the crowd: We’re dealing with an invasive species called Donald Trump.
He added: Still, he is a historic president for our country—one who is historically unpopular in every category.
Tensions between Newsom and Trump have been simmering for years. Earlier this year, Trump refused to meet Newsom during California’s deadly wildfires, calling the governor incompetent and unfit for office.