The Trump administration is halting the issuance of work visas for commercial truck drivers, Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced in a post on the social media platform X on Thursday, Aug. 21.
“The increasing number of foreign drivers operating large tractor-trailer trucks on U.S. roads is endangering American lives and undercutting the livelihoods of American truckers,” Rubio wrote.
Effective immediately we are pausing all issuance of worker visas for commercial truck drivers.
The increasing number of foreign drivers operating large tractor-trailer trucks on U.S. roads is endangering American lives and undercutting the livelihoods of American truckers.
— Secretary Marco Rubio (@SecRubio) August 21, 2025
Rubio’s announcement follows recent letters from the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association asking for the immediate suspension of states issuing non-domiciled CDLs.
On Monday, Aug. 18, OOIDA asked Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy to suspend states’ authority to issue non-domiciled CDLs for interstate commerce. Then on Thursday, Aug. 21, OOIDA sent letters to 43 governors, asking each state to stop giving out new non-domiciled CDLs until problems with the program can be addressed.
The issue entered the national spotlight when a truck crash in Florida claimed the lives of three people on Aug. 12. Truck driver Harjinder Singh was said to have committed an illegal U-turn on the Florida Turnpike, leading to a collision with a minivan. Singh was arrested for three counts of vehicular homicide.
According to The Associated Press, the federal government asked for Singh to be transferred to the custody of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) after his criminal case is completed. The Department of Homeland Security confirmed on Thursday, Aug. 21 that ICE has Harjinder’s brother, Harneet Singh, in custody. Harneet, who is accused of being in the United States illegally, was a passenger in the truck when the crash occurred.
The crash has prompted questions about the ways commercial driver’s licenses are distributed. In particular, OOIDA said that non-domiciled CDLs have exposed many “safety loopholes.”
OOIDA lauded Rubio’s announcement and said it will continue working with the administration and Congress to develop comprehensive licensing and training standards that will prevent unsafe drivers from ever getting behind the wheel.
“OOIDA applauds the Administration for seeing through the myth of a truck driver shortage and continuing efforts to restore commonsense safety standards on our nation’s highways,” said Todd Spencer, the Association’s president and CEO. “Pausing visas for commercial truck drivers will help ensure only qualified individuals get licensed. Additionally, there is unlikely to be any negative effect on the supply chain, as the trucking industry continues to face overcapacity. The misuse of visa programs along with the rise of non-domiciled CDL holders in recent years has fueled a flood of drivers into our country who struggle to operate safely in full compliance with regulations.”
As of the morning of Friday, Aug. 22, the details of Rubio’s announcement – including the scope – had not been released. LL
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