In a week marked by heated debate and pointed advocacy, the future of commercial driver’s license (CDL) eligibility for non-U.S. citizens—and the broader integrity of the American trucking industry—has come under the national spotlight. As California Attorney General Rob Bonta led a 21-state coalition in challenging new federal restrictions on non-domiciled CDLs, industry leaders like David and Mindy Freymiller of Freymiller, Inc. joined American Truckers United (ATU) in Washington, D.C., calling for tighter oversight and reform in the CDL certification process.
The controversy centers on an interim final rule issued by the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT), which would sharply limit the ability of non-U.S. citizens to obtain or renew commercial driver’s licenses. According to the DOT, there are about 3.8 million CDL holders in the United States, with roughly 200,000 of them holding non-domiciled licenses. These licenses are available to individuals who are not U.S. citizens or permanent residents but are lawfully present in the country and have passed rigorous training, skills, and knowledge tests. Many of these drivers have held their licenses for years, if not decades, forming a crucial backbone of the nation’s transportation workforce.
Yet, the DOT’s own admission that there is no clear evidence linking these licenses to any public safety threat has fueled criticism. As reported by the California Department of Justice, DOT officials concede that the new restrictions may not provide any additional safety benefits. Despite this, the rule was introduced, only to be put on hold by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit, pending further review.
Attorney General Bonta minced no words in his condemnation of the rule. “The Trump Administration has politicized a handful of deeply tragic accidents in an attempt to advance the President’s anti-immigrant agenda,” Bonta said. “It is doing so even though its own agency has admitted that there is no evidence to support the idea that revoking these licenses will have any benefit to public safety — in fact, just the opposite. This rule strips hardworking, lawfully residing immigrants of their means to make a living — seasoned drivers who transport people to work, bring children to school, transport food and goods to businesses, operate the construction vehicles that maintain and repair public roads, and provide many other indispensable services. I urge the Department of Transportation to course correct and rescind this rule.”
In California alone, about 65,000 individuals hold non-domiciled CDLs. Under the interim rule, few—if any—would qualify to renew their licenses. This abrupt change threatens tens of thousands of drivers with job loss and economic uncertainty, not only for themselves and their families, but also for the employers and communities that depend on their labor. The coalition of attorneys general, representing states from Arizona to Vermont, argues that the DOT’s move exceeds its statutory authority, is arbitrary and capricious, and violates both the Administrative Procedure Act and the Commercial Motor Vehicle Safety Act by failing to provide adequate notice, opportunity for public comment, and required consultation with states.
While state officials and immigrant advocates decry the rule as an overreach with harmful economic consequences, industry leaders are voicing a different set of concerns in Washington. David and Mindy Freymiller, representing Freymiller, Inc., traveled to the capital to join American Truckers United in a campaign for stronger federal and state oversight of the CDL process. Their focus is not on lawful immigrants, but on the proliferation of illegal or improperly obtained CDLs, which they say threaten both highway safety and the livelihoods of legitimate drivers.
“We came to Washington to stand up for American drivers,” said David Freymiller, President of Freymiller, Inc. “Truckers deserve a fair, safe industry — one where every CDL is earned legally and held by someone qualified to do the job.”
Recent investigations by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) and DOT have unearthed troubling evidence of fraudulent CDL activity. In some cases, applicants were able to obtain licenses without meeting essential safety or training standards. These findings have prompted calls for stricter verification of applicant identities and closer monitoring of CDL training providers. Industry advocates warn that fraudulent or so-called “non-domiciled” CDL programs—where licenses are issued to drivers who do not legally reside in the state—can create unfair labor dynamics and erode safety standards.
The Freymillers’ message is clear: maintaining the integrity of the CDL system is essential for both safety and economic fairness. “We want every driver to know — we’re in this fight with you,” said Mindy Freymiller. “Our family and our company are dedicated to protecting the integrity of trucking and the safety of our highways.”
The trucking industry is a pillar of the U.S. economy, moving more than 70 percent of all domestic freight. Any disruption—whether from sudden labor shortages caused by regulatory changes or from preventable accidents involving unqualified drivers—can have ripple effects across supply chains, local economies, and public safety.
Both sides of the debate agree on one thing: the stakes are high. For states like California, the sudden loss of tens of thousands of experienced drivers could result in critical shortages of freight truckers, school and municipal bus drivers, and other commercial operators. Businesses and local governments would be left scrambling to find, hire, and train replacements, risking delays in everything from food deliveries to public transportation.
Conversely, industry leaders and trade groups argue that lax oversight and the existence of fraudulent CDLs undermine the profession and endanger everyone on the road. They call for a balanced approach—one that keeps the doors open for lawfully present, qualified immigrants, but closes loopholes that allow unqualified or unscrupulous actors to slip through the cracks.
The legal and political battle over the DOT’s interim rule is far from over. With the regulation currently on hold, all eyes are on the courts and federal agencies as they weigh the competing demands of safety, fairness, and economic necessity. In the meantime, the voices of truckers, business owners, state officials, and immigrant advocates continue to shape the conversation, reminding the public that behind every policy decision are real people—drivers who keep America moving, families who depend on steady work, and communities that rely on safe, reliable transportation.
As the debate unfolds, one thing is certain: the question of who gets to drive America’s trucks is more than a bureaucratic detail—it’s a test of the nation’s values, priorities, and willingness to find common ground in a rapidly changing world.