A Senate bill aims to prevent illegal immigrants from being issued a driver’s license.
Sen. John Barrasso, R-Wyo., recently introduced the No Licenses for Illegal Drivers or Truckers Act. S4317 would require states to verify legal status before issuing a driver’s license, commercial driver’s license or personal identification card.
Under the bill, states that fail to comply would face a 10% reduction in federal highway funding. These funds would then be redirected to states that follow the requirements.
Congress and federal regulators have already made efforts to address concerns regarding the issuance of CDLs. However, Barrasso’s bill takes it a step further by including all driver’s licenses.
“Since many illegal immigrants do not speak English and cannot read road signs, these drivers make roads less safe for the law-abiding public,” Barrasso said in a news release. “While Wyoming already prohibits illegal immigrants from getting driver’s licenses, 19 states and the District of Columbia continue to issue personal and commercial driver’s licenses without verifying legal status. My legislation will ensure states follow the law and prioritize public safety.”
The No Licenses for Illegal Drivers or Truckers Act is co-sponsored by Sens. John Cornyn, R-Texas, and Cynthia Lummis, R-Wyo.
“States that thumb their nose at federal immigration law should lose highway funding, and those dollars should rightfully go to states that follow the law,” Lummis said. “Wyoming has always done things the right way, and it’s past time the rest of the country catches up.”
The U.S. Department of Transportation has already handed out fines against states that didn’t follow its rules regarding non-domiciled CDLs. Earlier this month, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration announced that it was withholding about $73 million from the state of New York for failing to revoke “illegally issued” non-domiciled CDLs and commercial learner’s permits.
“I promised the American people I would hold any state leader accountable for failing to keep them safe from unvetted, unqualified foreign drivers,” Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said in a news release. “I’m delivering on that promise today by refusing to fund Gov. (Kathy) Hochul’s dangerous, anti-American policies. My message to New York’s far left leadership is clear: families must be prioritized on American roads.” LL
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