Group of Congressional Democrats Challenge CDL Rule Affecting Immigrant Workers

WASHINGTON, D.C. — A group of 25 Democratic members of Congress, led by the Congressional Hispanic Caucus (CHC) and joined by Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC) Chair Grace Meng, has filed an amicus brief opposing a federal rule that would restrict certain lawfully present immigrants from obtaining or retaining commercial driver’s licenses (CDLs).

The brief was filed in Rivera Lujan v. Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) and challenges a Trump administration regulation that critics say would prevent some immigrants with legal work authorization from working as commercial truck and bus drivers.

According to the lawmakers, the rule would affect approximately 200,000 lawfully present immigrants who currently hold or are eligible for commercial driver’s licenses, including an estimated 42,000 recipients of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program.

The members argue that the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration exceeded its authority by incorporating immigration-related restrictions that Congress did not explicitly authorize in federal commercial licensing laws. They contend that the agency’s primary role is to oversee motor vehicle safety rather than enforce immigration policy.

“The Trump administration is doing everything possible to make life more difficult for hardworking, law-abiding immigrants,” Meng said in a statement announcing the filing. She added that the rule could affect thousands of workers, including many Sikh truck drivers, and urged the court to reject the regulation.

Congressional Hispanic Caucus Chair Adriano Espaillat also criticized the rule, describing it as an abuse of executive authority that would harm immigrant families and workers while increasing costs throughout the economy.

The lawmakers’ brief argues that removing experienced commercial drivers from the workforce could worsen labor shortages in the transportation sector and have broader economic consequences. According to the filing, approximately 200,000 drivers could lose access to commercial driving jobs under the rule, potentially resulting in billions of dollars in lost wages and increased transportation costs.

The issue is of particular concern to Sikh American communities, advocates say. Congressional supporters of the lawsuit noted that an estimated 150,000 Sikh Americans work as truck drivers, representing a significant portion of the nation’s Sikh workforce. Many Sikh immigrants arrive in the United States through asylum-related pathways and could be affected by changes to licensing eligibility, according to the brief.

The lawmakers also argue that the regulation could reinforce negative stereotypes about immigrant drivers despite no evidence that immigration status alone affects driving ability or public safety.

Supporters of the rule, however, have generally argued that commercial licensing standards should be closely aligned with immigration and employment authorization requirements, though those arguments will ultimately be evaluated by the court as the litigation proceeds.

The congressional filing comes amid a broader legal and political debate over the scope of executive authority in immigration policy and the role federal agencies can play in implementing immigration-related restrictions without additional action from Congress.

In addition to Meng and Espaillat, the amicus brief was signed by more than two dozen House Democrats, including Representatives Jamie Raskin of Maryland, Raja Krishnamoorthi of Illinois, Lori Trahan of Massachusetts, Veronica Escobar of Texas, Robert Garcia of California, and Nydia Velázquez of New York.

The case is expected to address whether the FMCSA’s rule falls within the agency’s statutory authority and whether immigration status can be used as a determining factor in commercial driver’s license eligibility for individuals who are lawfully present and authorized to work in the United States.