BREAKING: Trump admin launches 'Freedom Haulers' program to replace migrant truckers with veterans

President Donald Trump appeared at the White House with various officials and Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, where they spoke on the administration's new program to replace illegal immigrant truck drivers with military veterans who have experience driving heavy vehicles.  

"We've already removed more than 24,000 non-English speakers from behind the wheel. We've also forced states to cancel more than 28,000 commercial drivers' licenses unlawfully issued to illegal aliens. They were given illegally," Trump said. "As we get illegal aliens off the roads today, we're also taking action to replace these unqualified migrant truck drivers with highly qualified American veterans." 

"Under our brand-new Freedom Haulers—we call it Freedom Haulers initiative—any American who has driven a heavy truck for our military will automatically be eligible for a commercial driver's license, and it's good-paying jobs too. Any veteran with a heavy vehicle experience from the military will now be eligible to skip redundant road tests to obtain a commercial driver's license," he added.  

Over the course of the last couple years, there have been a number of stories where illegal immigrant or noncitizen truckers have been responsible for large wrecks, taking the lives of Americans. 

"Last year alone, illegal aliens with commercial driver's licenses caused at least 30 deaths and many, many very seriously injured," Trump said during his comments. 

Duffy also spoke, saying that Biden administration "let in millions of illegals into this country, and he thought it would be a good idea that when they come in, they get a job, and they get a job driving a commercial motor vehicle."

"They didn't have the training, they didn't have the skill. We didn't do background checks in the last administration, so they could have had a mile long rap sheet of crimes or drunk driving or speeding violations, but we didn't know who they were. And we saw that when those illegals were driving these big rigs, they were killing American citizens," he added.  

The administration's program is a new effort to recruit more veterans into the industry where many veterans find work after they come home. The Department of Transportation will also expand eligibility for veterans to get expedited CDLs, which will extend the waiver period from 12 months to 24 months after active-duty service if they have driven a larger rig for the military. CDL training will also be offered to veterans who have not previously done so during their military service.