US threatens New York highway funds over driver licences
The U.S. Transportation Department has threatened to withdraw $73 million in federal highway funding from New York state over concerns that commercial driver licences were improperly issued to non-U.S. citizens, escalating pressure on Democratic-led states under the Trump administration.
In a statement on Friday, the department said New York has 30 days to address concerns raised in a federal audit about licences issued to immigrant truck drivers, or risk losing key infrastructure funding, News.Az reports, citing Reuters.
The warning follows a broader crackdown launched earlier this year. In September, the Transportation Department issued an emergency regulation sharply restricting access to commercial driver licences for immigrants and non-citizens, citing a fatal crash in Florida and audit findings. In August, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced an immediate pause on issuing worker visas for commercial truck drivers.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy defended the move, saying road safety was at stake. “If we’re going to have drivers on American roadways, they need to be the best trained, the best skilled, because if operated incorrectly these are lethal weapons,” he said.
New York state officials rejected the accusation. The New York Department of Motor Vehicles said it fully complies with federal rules and verifies each applicant’s lawful status using federally issued documents. The DMV dismissed the threat as “another stunt” by Duffy, arguing it does nothing to improve road safety.
New York is not alone. Earlier this month, the Transportation Department warned it could withhold $30.4 million in highway funds from Minnesota over similar concerns. It has also threatened to cut transit funding for Chicago and previously raised funding issues with New York City and Boston — all Democratic-run jurisdictions.
The department has taken additional enforcement steps, removing nearly 3,000 commercial driver training providers from a federal registry for failing to meet requirements, while putting another 4,000 on notice.
California has already been hit with multiple funding actions. In October, the federal government threatened to pull $160 million over licence issues, prompting the state to revoke 17,000 licences held by foreign nationals. Another $40.6 million was withheld over alleged non-compliance with English proficiency rules for truck drivers. Late on Friday, California sued the Trump administration, seeking the return of at least $33 million and accusing the federal government of acting arbitrarily.
President Donald Trump has repeatedly threatened to cut federal funding to large, Democratic-run states and cities, particularly over infrastructure and transportation policies. According to the Transportation Department, about 16% of U.S. truck drivers were born outside the country.
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