Duffy gives Illinois 30-day ultimatum after audit finds 1 in 5 noncitizen truck licenses issued illegally

FIRST ON FOX: Illinois could lose millions in federal funding if it does not clean up its driver’s licensing system after the U.S. Department of Transportation warned Democratic Gov. JB Pritzker and the state’s top licensing official that one in five commercial licenses issued to noncitizens were issued illegally.

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy issued a written ultimatum to both the Hyatt Hotels heir and Kevin Duesterhaus, the state director of driver services under Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias, and listed several cases of drivers from El Salvador to Ukraine who were in violation of the law.

“I need our state partners to understand that they work for the American people, not illegal immigrants who broke the law illegally entering our country and continue to break it by operating massive big rigs without the proper qualifications,” Duffy said in a statement obtained by Fox News Digital.

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“[Joe] Biden and [Pete] Buttigieg forced Americans to share their roads with unqualified and unvetted foreign drivers, but the Trump administration is putting the needs of American families first where they belong.”

Duffy warned Duesterhaus and Pritzker that $128 million in federal highway funding, including Illinois’ share of the National Highway Performance Program and Surface Transportation Block Grants for FY-2027, would be held up if fixes are not made within 30 days and noncompliance continues.

“In addition, if the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) issues a final determination of substantial noncompliance, the agency may decertify Illinois’ CDL program,” Duffy wrote.

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Non-domiciled CDLs are commercial licenses issued to noncitizens who are not green card holders. The only exceptions to the non-domicile rule are truckers from Mexico and Canada, whose licensing systems the U.S. Department of Transportation has determined are in compliance with American standards, in deference to the reciprocal relationship between the two countries.

Duffy took issue with two main categories of illegally held licenses: drivers whose license validity dates exceeded their lawful presence in the U.S., and drivers who were given licenses without Illinois verifying their lawful presence.

The audit was also conducted as part of President Donald Trump’s executive order declaring English the official language of the U.S.

Pritzker and Duesterhaus must immediately pause issuances of all non-domiciled CDLs, identify noncompliant ones in circulation, revoke and reissue all compliant ones, and conduct their own internal audit.

Audited examples of CDL scofflaws include two Kyrgyz nationals who presented expired employment authorizations (EAD) and USCIS applications for new EADs, which Illinois should not have accepted.

A Nigerian national and a Moldovan national were found in similar situations.

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A Singaporean national was provided a license after presenting only partial documentation, and several drivers “whose citizenship is unknown” were among those scrutinized.

Fox News Digital reached out to Pritzker for comment, as well as Duesterhaus via Giannoulias’ office.

Giannoulias condemned what he called a “threat” to Springfield’s funding in a statement provided to Fox News Digital.

“A strong economy depends on strong logistics,” Giannoulias said. “If trucks don’t move, supply chains fail, prices rise, and families feel it in their pocketbooks. We can see the actions by the Trump administration taking their toll on our truckers and our farmers, both of whom are essential to Illinois’ economy.”

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Newly elected Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias addresses the crowd after taking the oath of office during a ceremony Jan. 9, 2023, in Springfield, Ill. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast, File)

Giannoulias’ office said it believes its CDL issuance policies are “substantially compliant” with U.S. Department of Transportation and Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration requirements and that it will conduct its own review of Duffy’s findings.

Giannoulias said the Illinois Agricultural Association raised concerns over the pause in issuing non-domiciled CDLs and that “Illinois agriculture depends on timely, practical, and legally sound regulatory decisions. Continued uncertainty places employers, workers, and food production systems at unnecessary risk.”

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