Immigrant truckers sue California DMV over CDL cancellation plans

The California DMV is facing a lawsuit filed on behalf of nearly 20,000 immigrant truckers over the state’s plans to revoke their commercial driver’s licenses (CDLs).

The Asian Law Group and the Sikh Coalition, along with law firm Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP, filed a lawsuit Tuesday seeking to block the California DMV from revoking CDLs. The complaint states that it will “result in mass business disruptions” starting January 5, 2026.

“This class action lawsuit has been filed on behalf of the Jakara Movement and five commercial drivers who have been deprived of their rights and livelihood,” said a joint statement from the Asian Law Group and the Sikh Coalition. The statement was included. “According to reports from the San Francisco Chronicle and KQED, California state officials have indicated they will begin reissuing licenses on December 17. Despite these public assurances, the state has neither reissued any of the disputed licenses nor established a process to resolve the date issue, and there is no indication it plans to do so before January 5.”

The lawsuit alleges that the California DMV notified 17,299 immigrant drivers and business owners on Nov. 6 that their nonresident CDLs would be revoked on Jan. 5, 2026, due to an error in the licenses’ expiration date. A similar letter was sent to another 2,700 drivers in December, informing them that their licenses would be revoked in mid-February.

ILLEGAL ALIEN FAILED CDL TEST 10 TIMES IN 2 MONTHS BEFORE FLORIDA CRASH THAT KILLED 3 PEOPLE

According to the lawsuit, the DMV is required to determine the expiration date of a CDL issued to an immigrant on the same day or before the driver’s work permit or documentation of legal presence expires. But the lawsuit claims the DMV letters violate California procedure that requires the department to either revoke the license without prejudice or change the expiration date.

“DMV plans to revoke business licenses for all 19,999 immigrants without giving them the opportunity to obtain a corrected license or appeal the revocation,” the lawsuit states.

The filing also states that “the DMV, despite its regulation, does not consistently ensure that the expiration date of a CDL matches the end of a person’s work permit or lawful presence.”

People walk in the rain at the Arleta DMV in Arleta on Thursday, Nov. 20, 2025. (Los Angeles Daily News via Hans Gutknecht/MediaNews Group/Getty Images)

DHS CONTAINED CONTENT THAT ILLEGAL ALIEN BEHIND FATAL CRASH WAS LICENSED BY DEEP BLUE GOVERNMENT

In November, after heated wrangling between the federal government and California, the Department of Transportation (DOT) announced that the Golden State planned to revoke 17,000 non-resident CDLs. California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s office pushed back on the DOT’s claim that his state “admitted to illegally issuing” the licenses. But notices were sent to more than 17,000 reported drivers, according to the lawsuit.

The lawsuit notes that revoking CDLs has a far-reaching impact beyond drivers, saying drivers “play an indispensable role in our local and national economies, providing essential services that communities rely on every day, including transporting food, driving children to school, and delivering finished goods.”

“The sudden loss of their ability to work threatens not only livelihoods, but also the stability of our supply chains and the services on which society depends. Neither individuals nor our communities can withstand the damage that would occur if these drivers lost their licenses, careers, and economic stability,” the lawsuit said.

California is moving to revoke the licenses of 17,000 commercial drivers after pressure from the Trump administration. (Fred Greaves/Reuters; Rachel Wisniewski/Reuters)

DUFFY THREATENS TO YANK NEW YORK FEDERAL FUNDS OVER ILLEGALLY ISSUED COMMERCIAL DRIVER LICENSES

The lawsuit describes some of the plaintiffs’ experiences after receiving the November letter. In one example, a plaintiff identified as John Doe 4 allegedly received the letter even though his CDL, the document he allegedly used to renew his license, expired the same day as his work permit. The lawsuit alleges that there were recipients of cancellation letters whose CDLs were apparently in compliance.

In another example, a member of the Jakara Movement, which describes itself as “a grassroots community-building organization working to empower, educate, and organize working-class Punjabi Sikhs and other marginalized communities,” attempted to address concerns about the cancellation by going to the DMV office in person. The lawsuit alleges that when the Jakara member arrived at the DMV office, he was “pressured to surrender his CDL out of fear that his non-commercial driver’s license would be revoked anyway.”

Additionally, the lawsuit alleges that “the DMV failed to explain how it determined that the 19,999 licenses did not comply with state law and how it could ensure the accuracy of its findings.”

In an aerial view, trucks drive along Interstate 80 on November 14, 2025 in Albany, California. (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

CLICK TO DOWNLOAD FOX NEWS APPLICATION

The lawsuit calls for the judge to issue a writ of certiorari, preliminary injunction or permanent injunction requiring the California DMV to ensure that plaintiffs and those covered by the class action lawsuit can obtain a corrected CDL “without interruption of driving privileges.”

The Trump administration has launched a crackdown on the CDL issuance process as part of its efforts to combat illegal immigration. The move follows a series of fatal crashes involving non-resident CDL holders.

The California DMV and Newsom’s office did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s requests for comment.