Trump admin threatens to withhold millions in federal funding from NY over noncitizen licenses

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy threatened Friday to withhold up to $73 million in federal highway funding for New York state after a nationwide audit found the state has been illegally granting commercial driver’s licenses (CDL) to illegal migrants. 

A Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration audit found that 107 of the 200 non-domiciled commercial driver's licenses sampled were given to people in violation of federal law. 

It also found that the state's Department of Motor Vehicle's systems defaulted to issuing 8-year licenses to foreign drivers for non-REAL ID licenses, regardless of when their legal status expired.

“When more than half of the licenses reviewed were issued illegally, it isn't just a mistake—it is a dereliction of duty by state leadership," Duffy said in a statement. "Gov. [Kathy] Hochul must immediately revoke these illegally issued licenses. If they refuse to follow the law, we will withhold federal highway funding. This administration will never stop fighting to keep you and your family safe on our roads.” 

The issue of migrants having a commercial driver's license follows a car crash involving an illegal migrant truck driver that killed three people in California in October. Another illegal migrant, who received a commercial license from California, caused a crash in Florida in August that killed three people.

The Transportation Department also demanded the state immediately pause the issuance of all new, renewed, transferred, or upgraded non-domiciled CDLs and learner permits, and review every non-domiciled license that was issued in violation of federal regulations and the policies, practices, and procedures that allowed for the licenses to be issued.

New York has 30 days to comply with the department's request or risk its federal funding.

Misty Severi is a news reporter for Just The News. You can follow her on X for more coverage.