Federal authorities, in partnership with Oklahoma state troopers, have carried out a sweeping crackdown on illegal immigrants operating commercial trucks, arresting 120 individuals—91 of whom were caught driving 18-wheelers with commercial driver licenses (CDLs)—along Interstate 40 during a three-day operation in late September. The operation, which ran from September 22 to 25, 2025, is being hailed by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) as a major step forward in their ongoing efforts to address what they describe as a growing threat to public safety posed by unlicensed and ineligible drivers on America’s highways.
According to the Daily Caller News Foundation and confirmed by DHS press releases, ICE agents worked closely with the Oklahoma Highway Patrol, running records checks on foreign-born nationals they encountered during the operation. The sweep was not limited to the highway itself; two additional illegal migrants were apprehended at a nearby marijuana grow operation. In total, 120 illegal immigrants were taken into custody for a range of immigration violations and alleged criminal activities.
The list of crimes associated with those arrested is lengthy and alarming. Authorities allege involvement in money laundering, human smuggling, conspiracy to distribute cocaine, illegal re-entry into the United States, multiple DUIs, assault, and possession of controlled substances. These details, provided by DHS and reported in outlets such as American Truckers, underscore the scale and seriousness of the problem federal officials say they are confronting.
ICE Deputy Director Madison Sheahan was unequivocal in her assessment of the operation’s impact. “ICE’s 287(g) program clearly demonstrates how federal and local law enforcement agencies can work together to make America safe again,” Sheahan stated, according to the Daily Caller News Foundation. “Illegal aliens have no business operating 18 wheelers on America’s highways. Our roads are now safer with these illegal aliens no longer behind the wheel. We encourage more state and local law enforcement to sign 287(g) agreements to help remove public safety threats and receive reimbursement funds available to our law enforcement partners.”
The 287(g) program, which allows ICE to delegate certain immigration enforcement duties to state and local law enforcement officers, was credited as a key factor in the operation’s success. The program has been a point of contention in national debates over immigration enforcement, with supporters arguing it enhances public safety and critics warning of potential civil rights concerns. For the Trump administration, this Oklahoma operation is being held up as a model for future action.
This latest crackdown comes amid a series of high-profile and tragic accidents involving illegal migrant truck drivers. In August 2025, for example, an illegal migrant from India, Harjinder Singh, was charged after allegedly making an unlawful U-turn on a Florida turnpike, resulting in a crash that killed three people. Singh reportedly held CDLs from both California and Washington State, despite being ineligible for such licenses because of his immigration status. Similar incidents have been reported in other states, including Maine and California, sparking outrage among victims’ families and the broader public.
Marcus Coleman, whose five-year-old daughter, Dalilah, was left with life-altering injuries after a crash caused by an illegal migrant truck driver, voiced his frustration and support for the recent enforcement actions. “My daughter and family’s lives have been forever changed by the injuries and car crash that an illegal alien driving an 18-wheeler caused,” Coleman said, as quoted by DHS. “I’m proud to see ICE officers working together with highway patrol across the U.S. to protect our roads from criminal illegal aliens who pose a danger to Americans. Illegal aliens should not be driving 18-wheelers on our highways, and neither should 18-year-olds or drivers who lack experience. Governor Newsom’s California Department of Motor Vehicles needs to put in place stricter standards for who can obtain a commercial driver’s license before more people are killed and hurt.”
The federal response has been swift and sweeping. In September, the Department of Transportation (DOT) announced new restrictions on non-domiciled CDLs for foreign nationals, following a federal audit that revealed what DOT Secretary Sean Duffy described as “catastrophic patterns” of states unlawfully issuing licenses to ineligible foreign truck drivers. “What our team has discovered should disturb and anger every American,” Duffy declared, according to the Daily Caller News Foundation. “Licenses to operate a massive, 80,000-pound truck are being issued to dangerous foreign drivers—often times illegally. This is a direct threat to the safety of every family on the road, and I won’t stand for it. Today’s actions will prevent unsafe foreign drivers from renewing their license and hold states accountable to immediately invalidate improperly issued licenses.”
Under the new DOT directive, non-citizens seeking a CDL must have an employment-based visa and undergo a mandatory federal immigration status check. The move is meant to close loopholes that previously allowed non-citizens, including those without legal status, to obtain licenses in states where they were not residents. The enforcement of federal requirements that truck drivers be able to read and speak English has also been stepped up, a change that followed pressure from American truckers and a spate of accidents attributed to language barriers.
Beyond the immediate public safety concerns, the crackdown has also drawn attention to broader issues of national security and workforce displacement. The Daily Caller recently reported on the Chinese American Trucker Organization USA, a company operated by Chinese nationals that has been identified as a major training organization importing Chinese citizens into the U.S. to take commercial driving jobs. Steve Yates, a senior research fellow for China and national security policy at the Heritage Foundation, warned, “Having a large CCP-tied network further train, certify, and place ‘their’ illegal migrants throughout vital surface shipping routes—urban, rural, and interstate—elevates national security risks. At a time of high tension, crisis, or conflict with the CCP, what confidence could we have this network could not and would not be used against us?”
The Trump administration’s response has included not just regulatory changes but also public statements highlighting the dangers posed by illegal and unqualified commercial drivers. “The process for issuing these licenses is absolutely 100 percent broken,” Transportation Secretary Duffy said, as reported by multiple outlets. “It has become a threat to public safety, and it is a national emergency that requires action right now.”
As the debate continues over how best to secure America’s roads and address the underlying causes of these enforcement actions, one thing is clear: the Oklahoma operation marks a turning point in the federal government’s approach to illegal migrant commercial drivers. With new regulations in place and high-profile enforcement efforts underway, the landscape for foreign nationals seeking to operate commercial vehicles in the United States has shifted dramatically. Whether these changes will lead to lasting improvements in road safety—and how they will impact the complex web of immigration, labor, and national security concerns—remains to be seen. For now, federal and state officials are touting the recent arrests as a critical win for public safety.
