People without US citizenship will no longer be able to work as truck drivers in America: What you need to know

New Department of Transportation regulations are now in effect. It's now significantly more difficult for foreign citizens to obtain a commercial driver's license. What you need to know about the new regulations is explained. ABC News.

Agency Commissioner Sean Duffy stated that an audit conducted last month following a fatal crash in Florida caused by a truck driver making an illegal U-turn found that previous regulations were insufficiently strict, and that some states enforced them inconsistently. Duffy noted that the driver in question should never have been granted a commercial license due to his immigration status.

"What our team discovered should alarm and outrage every American," Duffy was quoted as saying on the Department of Transportation's official website. "Licenses to operate these massive trucks are being issued to dangerous foreign drivers, often illegally. This is a direct threat to the safety of every family on the road, and I will not tolerate it. Today's action will prevent license renewals for unsafe foreign drivers and require states to immediately revoke improperly issued licenses."

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The audit found that commercial driver's licenses were being improperly issued in California, Colorado, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Texas, and Washington. However, according to Duffy, the violations in California were so severe that he threatened to withhold $160 million in federal funding from the state.

A nationwide investigation was launched after, according to the Florida Highway Patrol, Indian-American truck driver Harjinder Singh made an illegal U-turn on a Florida highway. A minivan following him was unable to avoid the truck's trailer and crashed into it. The driver and two passengers of the minivan were killed, while Singh and his passenger were uninjured.

Singh lived in California and initially obtained a commercial driver's license in Washington state, after which he was issued a similar license in California. Singh faces three counts of causing death by negligent driving and immigration violations.

Officials also pointed to two other fatal crashes this year that they said were caused by immigrant drivers who were not eligible for licenses.

A driver in Texas failed to brake and crashed into a convoy of cars, causing a 17-vehicle accident that killed five people. And in Alabama, a driver rammed four cars stopped at a red light, killing two people.

The Florida crash and subsequent investigations have heightened tensions between the governors of Florida and California and angered President Donald Trump and Department of Transportation Commissioner Sean Duffy.

An investigation revealed that one in four of the 145 foreign national licenses issued in California since June and inspected by inspectors should not have been issued even under current regulations. California has been given 30 days to conduct an internal audit and submit a remediation plan, or risk losing funding.

California rejected these claims. A spokesman for Governor Gavin Newsom claimed Duffy misunderstood federal law. He noted that California commercial driver license holders have significantly fewer accidents than the national average, and fewer than the average in Texas, the only state with a higher proportion of commercial drivers.

Duffy previously threatened to cut off federal funding to California, Washington and New Mexico for what he said were failures to comply with an English-language driver requirement introduced this summer.

(In May, Duffy signed an executive order introducing new rules to strengthen enforcement of English language proficiency among commercial truck drivers. Under the new rules, commercial motor vehicle (CMV) drivers who fail to meet FMCSA's long-standing English Language Proficiency (ELP) requirements will be suspended from work. — Note.)

California has long been a political battleground for the Trump administration, with the president and Governor Newsom regularly trading insults on social media.

The new rules allow only foreign drivers with three specific visa types to obtain commercial driver's licenses. States will be required to verify their immigration status. Only holders of H-2A, H-2B, or E-2 visas will be eligible to apply for a license. The H-2B visa is for temporary agricultural workers, the H-2A is for non-agricultural workers, and the E-2 is issued to individuals making significant investments in U.S. businesses.

The validity of such rights will be limited to one year or less if the visa expires earlier.

According to authorities, of the 200 foreigners currently holding commercial licenses, only about 10 are covered by the new rules. However, the rules are not retroactive, so the remaining drivers will be able to keep their licenses at least until they are renewed.

All states must suspend issuing commercial licenses to foreigners until they bring their procedures into compliance with the new rules.

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200 foreign drivers account for approximately 5% of the total commercial driver workforce. Duffy believes there are enough American drivers to handle all freight.

Excluding foreigners from the industry could force trucking companies to raise wages for entry-level drivers and attract more applicants, said Jonathan Marquez, founder of Driving Academy, a driving school in Linden, New Jersey.

In his opinion, this could make the profession even more attractive.

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