Texas unexpectedly revoked driver's licenses for non-citizen truck drivers (2 photos)

Truck Drivers Under Increased Attention

Truck drivers across the country are facing more attention than ever. The Texas Department of Public Safety is now stepping up enforcement after emergency rule changes from the Federal Transportation Safety Administration. Simply put, certain groups of immigrants, including refugees, asylum seekers, and recipients of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, must put their driving plans on hold, if not forever.

Starting September 29, the Department of Public Safety has stopped issuing commercial driver’s licenses and commercial driving instruction permits to the groups in question. The decision applies to new applications, renewals, and reissues of non-resident commercial licenses, effectively blocking non-citizens who are legally in the United States from obtaining or maintaining these licenses. Even applications that were already in the process of being processed are being canceled.

Safety as the reason for the changes

Federal regulators say the changes are due to a nationwide audit and what they describe as “a recent series of horrific fatal crashes involving non-resident drivers.” The agency added that non-citizens will now be eligible to obtain licenses only if they meet stricter standards. Overall, the number of drivers affected is relatively small, but the impact cannot be ignored.



According to state data, Texas issued 220,430 commercial driver’s licenses last year. About 6,265 of those (about 3 percent) were classified as nonresidents. The Texas Tribune points to statistics from the American Immigration Council that show refugees make up 1.2 percent of truck drivers in the state, while DACA-eligible drivers make up 1.1 percent.

Additional checks in Texas

This latest suspension is in addition to new measures ordered by Gov. Greg Abbott in early September. He directed the Department of Public Safety to conduct English proficiency tests for truck drivers, presenting the move as a safety issue.

Every licensed commercial driver on Texas roads must be able to communicate clearly in English to ensure traffic laws are followed, safety guidelines are followed, and accidents are prevented.

For now, the suspension means thousands of legal non-citizens in Texas, including those who already work in the trucking industry, are in limbo. The Department of Public Safety says it will provide further updates as it works with the Federal Transportation Safety Administration to implement new federal standards. Until then, both drivers and companies are left waiting to see what these changes mean for trucking in the state.

These regulatory changes come amid a national debate about road safety and immigrant access to jobs. Truck drivers remain critical to supply chains, and any restrictions could impact economic stability. At the same time, calls for higher safety standards continue to grow, creating a difficult balance between ensuring public safety and supporting the workforce in a key industry.