The administration of US President Donald Trump has cancelled the commercial driver’s licences (CDLs) of more than 28,000 immigrants while launching a new initiative to replace them with military veterans, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed on Tuesday.
According to a press release issued by the administration, the licences of 24,000 non-citizens who could not speak or read English proficiently have been cancelled.
The administration also said it worked with states to shut down 9,500 driving schools that had helped these truckers obtain licences and drive in the United States.
Indian Truckers Could Be Affected
The move is expected to affect Indian immigrants working in the US trucking industry.
According to data from the North American Punjabi Truckers Association, cited by The Indian Express, nearly 130,000 to 150,000 truck drivers in the United States come directly from Punjab and Haryana.
The cancellation of licences is expected to create a shortage of nearly 30,000 truck drivers who were involved in transporting goods across the country.
Part Of Wider Immigration Crackdown
The action forms part of a broader crackdown on immigrant truck drivers in the United States.
According to the report, enforcement intensified after an August 2025 crash in Florida in which a truck driver allegedly made an illegal U-turn, killing three people.
Following the incident, the US Department of Transportation began enforcing existing English-language proficiency requirements for commercial truck drivers.
US Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said the driver involved in the crash, who was from India, should never have been issued a commercial driver’s licence.
Since then, 26,000 drivers have reportedly been removed from the road for failing to adequately demonstrate English proficiency.
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The federal government has also attempted to withhold millions of dollars in highway funding from California and New York, alleging that the states failed to revoke thousands of additional licences. The matter is currently before a court.
Several other states, including Pennsylvania, Minnesota and North Carolina, have also been warned that they could lose federal funding.
What Is The ‘Freedom Haulers’ Campaign?
Alongside the crackdown, the Trump administration has launched the Freedom Haulers campaign to encourage military veterans to enter the trucking industry.
According to the Associated Press, the initiative promotes programmes that allow veterans who have recently operated large military vehicles to skip the required skills test for obtaining a commercial driver’s licence.
US President Donald Trump, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, Veterans Affairs Secretary Douglas A Collins and Acting Labour Secretary Keith Sonderling launched the campaign at the White House last week.
‘Veterans Are The Right People For The Job’
According to a press release issued by the US Department of Transportation, “The initiative builds on President Trump’s efforts to clean up America’s roadways, crack down on dangerous foreign drivers, and support American truckers.”
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said, “Illegal immigrants who can’t speak our language have no business getting behind the wheel of a big rig. Veterans – who have already demonstrated the grit, discipline, and skills to take on this vital task – are the right people for the job.”
He added that the campaign would help US military veterans obtain their commercial licences more quickly and “start making real money in record time.”
