SACRAMENTO, Calif. — California officials announced plans to revoke approximately 17,000 commercial driver’s licenses (CDLs) issued to immigrants after discovering that many of the licenses had expiration dates extending beyond the holders’ authorized legal stay in the United States.

According to NBC Bay Area, the move comes amid renewed scrutiny from the Trump administration, which has criticized California and other states for allowing individuals without permanent legal status to obtain CDLs. The issue drew national attention in August after a Florida crash involving a truck driver who was not authorized to be in the U.S.

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said California’s decision “is an admission that the state acted improperly,” adding that the Department of Transportation will continue investigating the state’s licensing system. “Now that we’ve exposed their lies, 17,000 illegally issued trucking licenses are being revoked,” Duffy said.

Governor Gavin Newsom’s office defended the state’s licensing process, stating that all affected drivers had valid federal work authorizations. However, officials acknowledged that state law requires CDLs to expire no later than the end of a driver’s authorized legal status in the U.S.

Newsom spokesperson Brandon Richards responded sharply to Duffy’s criticism, calling his remarks “easily disproven falsehoods” and accusing him of political grandstanding.

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