California Governor Gavin Newsom has revoked 17,000 commercial driver’s licenses previously issued to undocumented migrants, following intense pressure from Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy under the administration of current U.S. president Donald Trump, who is serving his second term. State officials notified the affected drivers this week, informing them the licenses will become invalid within 60 days.
The decision marks a significant shift for California, which initially insisted its licensing process followed federal authorization standards. The policy reversal comes after a series of high-profile incidents involving commercial drivers lacking legal immigration status, including an October highway collision in which three people were killed. The crash, allegedly caused by an undocumented migrant with a commercial license, intensified scrutiny over the state’s practices.
Federal officials had issued a September 26 directive ordering California to review its commercial licenses and halt further issuance to undocumented migrants. After previously resisting the order, California now says the licenses violated a state requirement that they expire when a person’s legal immigration status does.
Trump -Newsom Administration Clash Escalates Over Licensing Oversight
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, who has spearheaded the federal challenge, said California’s retreat validates concerns his department has raised for weeks. “After weeks of claiming they did nothing wrong, Gavin Newsom and California have been caught red-handed,” Duffy said, adding that his team believes additional irregularities remain undiscovered.
Duffy has also threatened to withhold more than $160 million in federal transportation funding from California, arguing that the state has ignored federal requirements governing commercial driver eligibility. While it remains unclear whether the threatened penalties will still be enforced following California’s reversal, Duffy warned that further oversight actions are likely.
Newsom’s team, however, disputes the federal narrative. Spokesperson Brandon Richards accused Duffy of spreading “easily disproven falsehoods” and attempting to score political points. State officials contend that federal employment authorization documents—issued and renewed multiple times—provided the basis for the licenses in question. “The federal government needs to look within before they cast blame outside,” Newsom’s office said.
Political Undertones Complicate Policy Dispute
The licensing controversy has unfolded against the backdrop of long-running tensions between Newsom and the Trump administration. Newsom has frequently criticized federal policy since President Trump began his second term and has clashed repeatedly with members of the administration, including Duffy and Secretary Kristi Noem.
In recent weeks, Newsom has also publicly acknowledged that he is considering a 2028 presidential run, calling it “dishonest” to deny his interest in the race. The governor’s high national visibility and vocal criticism of the White House have fueled speculation about his long-term political ambitions.
With federal officials continuing to examine California’s licensing program and state leaders defending their actions as compliant with federal documents at the time of issuance, the conflict reflects broader national debates over immigration, state sovereignty, and public safety. Both sides have signaled that the dispute is unlikely to end soon
