Immigrant Truck Drivers CDL Rule Could Cost Thousands Jobs

2 months ago
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By Ahsan Ali

“We refugees are the lifeblood of America… We hold a sacred profession—truck driving—and we deliver to you all the materials, from the food you eat and the clothes you wear to the car you drive and the supplies used to build your home. In other words, while we live here, we also keep you living.”
— Comment submitted to the Federal Register, October 2025

A Growing Crisis in America’s Trucking Industry:

America’s trucking industry is hitting a major roadblock.

Driving a truck has always been one of the toughest jobs out there—long days, lonely nights, and weeks away from home. Because of that, the industry has struggled to find enough workers willing to do it. For years, immigrants have helped fill that gap. Today, nearly 18% of truck drivers in the U.S. were born in another country. They’ve been the ones keeping the wheels turning when others couldn’t.

But that could all change soon.

In September 2025, the Trump administration introduced a new rule that stops many immigrants from holding a commercial driver’s license (CDL). This includes refugees, asylum seekers, and DACA recipients. Even though these people are legally allowed to live and work in the U.S., the new rule means they can no longer drive trucks professionally.

The result? Thousands could lose their jobs, and trucking companies could lose a massive part of their workforce.

That’s bad news for everyone.

Truck drivers are the invisible engine of America. They haul medicine across the country, stock grocery store shelves, and deliver the fuel that keeps cars running. Without them, supply chains start to crack. Products don’t arrive on time. Shelves go empty. Everyday life begins to slow down.

So this isn’t just an immigration issue—it’s an American one.

Old Routes, New Rules:

So why is this happening now?

After the 9/11 attacks, the U.S. limited commercial driver’s licenses to citizens and permanent residents. To fill the gap, states began issuing a different kind of license—a “non-domiciled” CDL—for immigrants who didn’t fit those categories. It was meant for people who technically lived outside the U.S., but it also became a lifeline for many legal immigrants who worked as truck drivers.

Earning that license isn’t easy. It can take months of training and cost thousands of dollars.

Now, the new rule—officially called “Restoring Integrity to the Issuance of Non-Domiciled Commercial Drivers Licenses”—orders states to stop giving these licenses to refugees, DACA holders, and other immigrants. The announcement came on a Friday in late September 2025 and took effect the following Monday—a shockingly quick turnaround for such a major change.

From now on, only U.S. citizens, permanent residents, and some workers with specific visas can get or renew a CDL. For everyone else, the door just slammed shut.

Experts say that as many as 194,000 drivers could eventually lose their jobs because of this. The rule doesn’t fire them immediately, but it pushes states to revoke licenses from anyone who no longer qualifies.

The Legal Battle Ahead:

Not surprisingly, many people are fighting back.

Soon after the rule was announced, labor unions—represented by the advocacy group Public Citizen—filed a lawsuit to stop it. They argue that the government broke the law by making such a sweeping change without giving the public a chance to comment first, something federal rules normally require.

Now, the fight over who gets to drive America’s trucks is heading to court.

And until there’s a decision, the future of thousands of immigrant truck drivers—and the country’s supply chains—hangs in the balance.