Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy just dropped a bombshell that has Gavin Newsom in full panic mode.
The revelation exposes how state Democrat politicians put ideology ahead of highway safety.
And Sean Duffy exposed what California Democrats did that put thousands of Americans in danger.
States Admitted To Giving CDLs To Drivers Who Can't Read Road Signs
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy uncovered a scandal that should terrify every American who drives on a highway.
States across the country potentially illegally issued about 194,000 Commercial Driver's Licenses to foreign truck drivers who can't meet basic English language standards set by the Department of Transportation.
Duffy dropped this bombshell during an interview on Fox Business Channel where he revealed the stunning scope of the problem.
"People can't understand the English language, they can't read signs, and they don't know the rules of our road. That's a problem," Duffy said. "Americans aren't safe."
https://twitter.com/SecDuffy/status/1990845355387470112?s=20
The Transportation Secretary also exposed how so-called "CDL mills" operate where foreign nationals arrive in the United States and get pushed through the system to secure licenses despite barely knowing American driving rules.
This creates a dangerous situation on America's highways while simultaneously driving down wages in the trucking industry.
"We also see that there are CDL mills … people aren't being properly trained, they're being pushed through and getting licenses and driving across the country," Duffy explained.
Duffy pointed out the economic consequences that go beyond the obvious safety concerns.
"It's driving American truckers out of business. And American trucking companies, driving the wages down," Duffy continued. "That's not why we're taking this action, but that's a real consequence of having all of those foreigners come in. What we're going to see is those wages rise."
https://twitter.com/IngrahamAngle/status/1990581687076728903?s=20
Federal regulations under 49 CFR § 391.11(b)(2) have required commercial drivers to "read and speak the English language sufficiently" since 1937 to ensure they can understand highway traffic signs and communicate with law enforcement.
But Obama's Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration issued guidance in 2016 instructing inspectors not to place drivers out of service for English language violations.
President Trump reversed that dangerous policy with an Executive Order in April demanding enforcement of the longstanding English language requirement.
California Got Caught Red-Handed Breaking The Law
The California Department of Motor Vehicles admitted to illegally issuing 17,000 Commercial Driver's Licenses to foreign drivers after a federal audit exposed the scandal.
California was forced to cancel all 17,000 licenses after Transportation Secretary Duffy threatened to pull $160 million in federal funding.
"After weeks of claiming they did nothing wrong, Gavin Newsom and California have been caught red-handed," Duffy said.
https://twitter.com/SecDuffy/status/1982499507863793939?s=20
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration audit revealed that 26% of California's non-domiciled CDLs failed to meet federal requirements.
That's more than one in four foreign drivers who California gave licenses to operate massive trucks on American highways despite not meeting basic safety standards.
"This is just the tip of the iceberg. My team will continue to force California to prove they have removed every illegal immigrant from behind the wheel of semitrucks and school buses," Duffy stated.
The audit uncovered "systemic policy, procedural, and programming errors" in California's program that allowed thousands of CDLs to be illegally issued.
Some licenses were issued extending well beyond a foreign worker's visa expiration date.
Three transactions showed the DMV couldn't even provide documentation proving they validated lawful presence documents before issuing licenses.
The California DMV sent notices to all 17,000 CDL holders informing them their licenses no longer meet federal requirements and will expire in 60 days.
ICE Arrested A Terrorist Driving A Semi-Truck With A Pennsylvania License
The danger of states ignoring federal safety standards became crystal clear when Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents arrested an illegal alien accused of terrorism in his native Uzbekistan who had been awarded a Commercial Driver's License by Pennsylvania.
ICE arrested 31-year-old Akhror Bozorov in Kansas on November 9 while he was working as a commercial truck driver.
Uzbekistan authorities issued an arrest warrant for Bozorov in 2022 for being a member of a terrorist organization.
He's accused of distributing terrorist propaganda calling for jihad online and recruiting terrorists to join the jihad movement.
The Biden administration caught Bozorov after he crossed the border illegally in February 2023 but released him into the United States interior.
The Biden administration then granted Bozorov work authorization in January 2024.
Pennsylvania issued him a Commercial Driver's License to operate an 18-wheeler on America's highways.
"Not only was Akhror Bozorov—a wanted terrorist—RELEASED into the country by the Biden administration, but he was he was also given a commercial driver's license by Governor Shapiro's Pennsylvania," DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin stated. "This should go without saying, but terrorist illegal aliens should not be operating 18-wheelers on America's highways."
McLaughlin added that "Biden and Mayorkas allowed countless terrorists to come into our country. President Trump and Secretary Noem unleashed ICE to target these national security threats."
Bozorov's arrest comes as the Trump administration implements new rules requiring commercial drivers who fail to comply with English-language proficiency requirements to be placed immediately out of service.
Beginning June 25, 2025, English language proficiency violations became part of the official North American Standard Out-of-Service Criteria.
American truckers deserve to compete on a level playing field without foreign workers who can't speak English flooding the market and driving down wages.
But more importantly, American families deserve to know the person driving that 80,000-pound truck next to them on the highway can read road signs and communicate with law enforcement.
Sean Duffy is finally cleaning up the mess left by Biden and state Democrats who prioritized illegal aliens over American safety.
¹ John Gallagher, "California cancels 17000 CDLs following federal audit," FreightWaves, November 12, 2025.
² "Sean Duffy: States Illegally Issued 194,000 Commercial Driver's Licenses to Foreign Truckers," Breitbart News, November 18, 2025.
³ "ICE Arrests Uzbekistan Criminal Illegal Alien and Wanted Terrorist Driving 18-Wheeler in Kansas," Department of Homeland Security, November 17, 2025.
⁴ "U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy Signs Order Announcing New Guidance to Enforce English Proficiency Requirement for Truckers," Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, May 20, 2025.
