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Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy said on Tuesday that the California Department of Motor Vehicles does not have an extension to the deadline for the cancellation of commercial driver’s licenses issued to foreign nationals who do not have legal U.S. status, disputing the delay announced by the department.
The California DMV said that the roughly 17,000 licenses that were set to be terminated on Jan. 5 will now last until March 6, but Duffy said the licenses will not be afforded a 60-day extension and that failing to meet the deadline could result in lost federal funding.
“[California Gov.] Gavin Newsom is lying,” Duffy wrote on X. “The deadline to revoke illegally issued, unvetted foreign trucker licenses is still January 5.”
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“California does NOT have an ‘extension’ to keep breaking the law and putting Americans at risk on the roads,” he continued.
Duffy added: “Miss the deadline, Gavin, and the @USDOT will act — including cutting nearly $160 million in federal funding.”
The California DMV justified its 60-day delay by arguing that it needs more time to ensure that it does not wrongfully terminate licenses for drivers who legally qualify for them.
This comes after a class-action lawsuit was brought by the Asian Law Caucus, Sikh Coalition, and Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP on behalf of five affected drivers and the Jakara Movement.
The groups had argued that many of the targeted drivers may actually qualify for their licenses.
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Last month, the California DMV sent notices to 17,299 non-domiciled commercial driver’s license holders notifying them that these licenses would be canceled on Jan. 5 after records showed mismatches between the license expiration dates and the drivers’ work authorization or lawful presence documentation.
