California defies deadline on immigrant trucker licenses as feds threaten funding cuts

California has announced delays to a crackdown connected thousands of immigrants who were fixed commercialized driver's licenses successful the Golden State, prompting speedy condemnation from the national government, which had pushed for the licenses to beryllium canceled aft a bid of deadly crashes involving overseas drivers.

The determination to propulsion backmost the cancellations until March is designed to springiness officials much clip to resoluteness the concerns of national authorities, according to the state's Department of Motor Vehicles. It affects astir 17,000 noncitizens.

The Trump medication and U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy had acceptable a Jan. 5 deadline, informing that nonaccomplishment to conscionable it could outgo California $160 cardinal successful national funding. California authorities are besides facing a class-action suit brought by migration advocates who argued that the crackdown unfairly targets truckers and autobus drivers.

TRUMP THREATENS TO CUT $75M FROM PENNSYLVANIA OVER ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT CDL SCANDAL

Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy testifies during a proceeding earlier the House Appropriations Committee successful the Rayburn House Office Building connected May 14, 2025 successful Washington, D.C. (Samuel Corum/Getty Images)

The Asian Law Caucus and the Sikh Coalition, on with the instrumentality steadfast Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP, filed the suit past week, arguing the cancellations would "result successful wide enactment stoppages" instantly upon the deadline.

Impacted drivers get different 60 days earlier the cancellations instrumentality effect, according to the DMV.

Duffy sharply criticized the determination connected X.

SEAN DUFFY WARNS 'RAMPANT FRAUD' IN TRUCK LICENSING PUTS AMERICANS AT RISK DURING HOLIDAY TRAVEL

California Gov. Gavin Newsom speaks during a rally connected Nov. 8, 2025, successful Houston, Texas. He received a informing from U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy astir his state's looming hold of a program to cancel much than 17,000 CDLs issued to noncitizen drivers. (Brandon Bell/Getty Images)

"California does NOT person an 'extension' to support breaking the instrumentality and putting Americans astatine hazard connected the roads," Duffy wrote earlier this week. "Miss the deadline, [Gov. Gavin Newsom], and the @USDOT volition enactment — including cutting astir $160 cardinal successful national funding."

Separately, helium has announced $118 cardinal successful grants for states to ace down connected "unqualified, unvetted drivers."

ILLEGAL ALIEN FAILED CDL TEST 10 TIMES IN 2 MONTHS BEFORE FATAL FLORIDA CRASH THAT KILLED 3

The quality comes aft a bid of deadly crashes astir the state involving amerciable migrant drivers down the wheel.

Harjinder Singh, 28, was arrested aft allegedly attempting an unauthorized U-turn successful Florida successful August that resulted successful a clang that near 3 radical dead, officials said. (St. Lucie County Sheriff's Office)

In 1 case, a purported amerciable migrant from India named Harjinder Singh allegedly killed 3 radical aft attempting an amerciable U-turn successful Florida connected Aug. 12. His CDL had been issued connected the different broadside of the state — successful California.

Singh allegedly failed to admit 3 retired of 4 road postulation signs and answered conscionable 2 questions retired of 12 correctly successful an English proficiency appraisal delivered by proscription officials, Fox News Digital reported previously.

California leaders, for their part, person said they mean to amended vetting and information measures portion continuing to contented CDLs to noncitizens.

Bodycam inactive shows Harjinder Singh holding paperwork arsenic a New Mexico State Police serviceman issues him a speeding summons during a July 3 postulation stop, weeks earlier the deadly Florida crash. (New Mexico State Police)

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"We are hopeful that our collaboration with the national authorities volition springiness [Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration] assurance successful our updated processes to let California to promptly resume issuance of nondomiciled commercialized driver’s licenses," California's DMV Director Steve Gordon said successful a statement.

Fox News Digital reached retired to Gov. Gavin Newsom's bureau for comment.

Fox News Digital's Rachel Wolf contributed to this report.