Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy talks crackdown on illegal immigrant CDLs

PHOENIX – Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy provided an update on his agency’s work alongside the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to combat the influx of illegal immigrants granted commercial driver’s licenses (CDLs) without homes, without proper oversight, which has led to several deaths on America’s highways.

Duffy was scheduled to speak this weekend at AmericaFest and also discussed his special friendship with Turning Point USA (TPUSA) founder Charlie Kirk, who was murdered on September 10 at an event in Utah.

“First of all, Mr. President [Donald] Trump has been a remarkable leader. He’s interested in making government work better, making sure it implements the right policies for the American people. Not the rich, not the powerful, but everyday Americans,” Duffy said when asked about the Department of Transportation’s (DOT) crackdown on the trucking crisis.

Duffy sprang into action earlier this year after an Indian national who authorities say had received a CDL from California allegedly killed a carload of people after trying to make an illegal U-turn on the Florida Turnpike.

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Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy speaks at a news conference. (Rod Lamkey, Jr./AP Photos)

Duffy expanded his efforts, warning Pennsylvania’s PennDOT and other agencies after illegal immigrants caught out of state were found to have non-domiciled CDLs issued by blue state agencies. In PennDOT’s case, an agency official told Fox News Digital that a Philadelphia resident named in the sweep didn’t raise any red flags in a federal database used to verify it.

“As you’ve seen, Homeland Security has been focused on the border and illegal immigrants in the country. What we found at DOT is a different set of problems,” Duffy said, adding that too many states were offering licenses to ineligible aliens.

“They are not qualified to obtain a license. And under [former President] Joe Biden’s mandate, [former Transportation Secretary] Since Pete Buttigieg’s term in office, millions of people have entered the country. And it appears that states across the country have offered commercial driver’s licenses to many of these people,” he said.

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“The problem is you’re endangering the safety of everyday Americans who use our roads. And so what we’ve done at the DOT is say, ‘Look, unless you follow our rules, we’re going to take money away from your state.'”

He added that the DOT has been pushing for problem states to comply, sharing that California has since revoked 17,000 problem non-domiciled CDL licenses.

On the other side of the country, Duffy said more than half of non-domiciled CDLs issued by NYSDOT were “illegally issued.”

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These New York drivers, he added, may not even be legally present in the United States, or may have had a work permit for a few months but have wrongly converted it to a truck or school bus driver’s license with a seven-year expiration date.

“So we’re going to use all the resources, all the tools that we have at the DOT, to make sure that we have the right people on our road, well qualified and licensed. Who are proficient in the English language to ensure that we are maximizing safety.”

He noted that while many focus on non-domiciled CDL holders who drive large trucks, many are also qualified to drive school buses, potentially putting children at risk.

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As the Florida tragedy showed, these drivers don’t just stay in states with lax policies.

“We’re going to maximize the safety of everyone on America’s roads, and that means taking on the states, taking money away from the states. We’ll do that 100 percent under the leadership of Donald Trump,” Duffy said.

Speaking about his friendship with Kirk, Duffy said AmFest shows the impact Kirk had on America’s youth, drawing them into the conservative movement.

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“Being here with my wife at this event and its significance is incredibly honoring for us and being able to speak to the young people who are here to honor Charlie and make our voices heard,” he said.

“It couldn’t be more thrilling and exciting, and I can’t wait to get on the main stage but also have the chance to speak to a lot of… young people, but people of all ages, are here to come and celebrate Charlie in this movement.”

Duffy later said Friday would be the busiest travel day of the year and that 51,000 flights had taken off, a reminder of the sacrifices made by air traffic control and other DOT employees over Christmas.

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“They’re going to work overtime. We appreciate their service. But I think what’s also important is that when there are a lot of flights like this, and there are so many people traveling, I think the American traveler needs to bring their best attitude, their best perspective when they go to the airport,” he said.

“[They should] I know there could be incidents because there are so many people. But if you have that little angel on your shoulder and you say, “I’m going to go with the flow and I’m going to do my best as a person who’s going to get on a plane and travel with multiple people,” I think it’s going to be a great experience. »

Suggesting that the DOT or FAA might receive complaints as they typically do during holiday periods, Duffy said travelers should remember an important maxim when it comes to his agency’s work.

“If there’s a problem in any of these spaces — whether it’s controllers, weather, mechanics — we will slow traffic or stop traffic because we want you to be safe when you travel,” he said.

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“I don’t want your flight to be delayed, but I’ll take a delayed flight over an unsafe flight any day of the week, and that’s what we’re focused on.”

Fox News Digital has contacted Biden and a political organization linked to Buttigieg for comment.