Oregon stops issuing CDLs to noncitizens

Oregon has stopped issuing temporary commercial driver's licenses to noncitizens living in the US. This decision came in March after pressure from the Trump administration to tighten eligibility requirements, with threats to withhold transportation funding from non-compliant states.

Previously, noncitizens in Oregon could apply for and get limited-term commercial driver's licenses, including those who claimed asylum, refugees, DACA recipients, those with temporary work authorization, and others. Commercial licenses are mandatory for operating heavy trucks, trailers, or vehicles carrying more than 15 passengers. However, after there were multiple cases of immigrants in the US crashing and causing deadly accidents with trucks on the road, the Trump administration cracked down on states with lax standards for road signs and English comprehension.

A review from the Trump administration under Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy found that 25 states, including Oregon, had violated federal regulations regarding the issuing of licenses to commercial drivers who were ineligible to do so.

Under federal pressure, Oregon transportation officials eliminated the entire program, per the Oregonian. The state will stop issuing new limited-term licenses, and over 1,000 current holders cannot renew expired permits. The DMV also won't replace, correct, or reprint existing licenses for those who lose them or need corrections.

"This is not our preferred course of action, to be honest," Oregon DMV administrator Amy Joyce said on March 12. However, a "policy disagreement with the federal government is not going to be helpful when they seem to be within their rights to change the regulation."

Joyce claimed that there was no evidence that these licensed drivers "have any worse of a safety record than anybody with a standard commercial driving privilege." However, in many cases where the crashes took place, those noncitizen drivers responsible could not pass a standard English comprehension test.

Federal regulations finalized in February provided the second catalyst for ending Oregon's program. The policy change eliminates driving opportunities for thousands of noncitizens in Oregon.