Subcommittee on Oversight, Investigations, and Accountability Chairman Josh Brecheen (R-OK) addressed public safety concerns at a hearing focused on the issuance of non-domiciled commercial driver’s licenses (CDLs) to individuals unlawfully present in the United States.
Brecheen emphasized the essential role of commercial truck drivers in the U.S. economy, stating that they transport critical supplies across the country. He noted that while states are responsible for issuing CDLs, they must comply with standards set by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), which include legal presence requirements and minimum standards for testing and identity verification.
He cited recent Department of Transportation audits that found significant compliance failures among several states. In Illinois, one in five non-domiciled CDLs did not meet federal standards. California was found to have illegally issued 17,000 such licenses last year. An FMCSA audit from 2025 reported that over half of New York’s non-domiciled CDL issuances violated federal law.
Brecheen referenced President Trump’s recent State of the Union address, noting that in 2025 there were at least 17 fatal crashes involving illegal aliens driving commercial vehicles with CDLs, resulting in 30 deaths. He highlighted a crash in St. Lucie County, Florida involving an individual from India who failed his CDL test multiple times before obtaining a license in California and later caused a fatal accident after making an illegal U-turn.
“These are not paperwork errors. Rather, they represent systemic breakdowns in oversight that put American families at risk,” Brecheen said.
He described another incident involving five-year-old Dalilah Coleman, who was seriously injured when a tractor trailer driven by an individual carrying a fraudulent non-domiciled CDL collided with her vehicle. “This tragedy should never have happened,” Brecheen stated.
Brecheen argued that these incidents result from some states treating public safety rules as optional and linked this trend to what he called former President Biden’s open-border policy. He claimed that President Biden touted creating more than 870,000 new CDL holders during his first year in office and asserted that non-domiciled licenses were part of this figure.
In response to these issues, Brecheen said the Trump administration had taken steps to tighten eligibility standards for non-domiciled CDLs through a new Department of Transportation rule issued in February. The Department of Homeland Security has also increased coordination with states to address illegal aliens driving commercial vehicles and launched enforcement operations in Indiana, Oklahoma, Texas, and Wyoming.
Oklahoma has enacted legislation aimed at addressing this problem—the Oklahoma Secure Roads and Safe Trucking Act of 2025—which requires proof of foreign citizenship and valid work visa for non-domiciled CDL applicants as well as English language proficiency.
“It is my hope that all states follow in the footsteps of Oklahoma as they look to solve this issue,” Brecheen said.
He concluded by stressing the need for continued vigilance: “We must make sure that states enforce the laws and keep these licenses out of the hands of unqualified people who are unlawfully present. This is not only a matter of public safety but also a matter of national security.”
