Federal officials told reporters in Detroit they ordered the emergency removal of 110 commercial driver’s license training schools tied to more than 5,000 drivers who failed English language proficiency tests, and shut down 150 more that allegedly used unlicensed instructors or lacked adequate space for behind‑the‑wheel training, The Center Square reported.
How the sweep and screening worked
The Center Square reported that the remarks came from U.S. Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy and U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin, who appeared with other federal officials and U.S. attorneys. The outlet said the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) reviewed roadside inspection records for drivers cited for not meeting English proficiency requirements, then compared those drivers with the Training Provider Registry to identify training providers that repeatedly certified drivers who did not meet federal standards.
DHS officials said a synchronized, single‑day operation targeted more than 200 training schools across 23 states, according to the report.
States flagged and unanswered questions
“A lot of the licenses unlawfully issued come from California, New York, a lot from Illinois,” Duffy said, per The Center Square. He added that many violations happen in the Midwest. The Illinois Secretary of State’s office did not immediately respond to The Center Square’s request for comment.
Sanctuary debate enters the crackdown
Mullin linked the issue to local immigration policies, The Center Square reported. “Regardless if you’re in a sanctuary city or sanctuary state, that doesn’t keep you from having to answer to the law,” he said.
New DOJ task force announced
The Department of Justice announced a new Joint Task Force Crossroads of America “to safeguard the nation’s highway system and strengthen the security of our borders,” according to The Center Square. The task force includes U.S. attorneys from Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, and Ohio.
Wages, safety, and insurance pressures cited
Jerome Gorgon, identified by The Center Square as the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Michigan, said many foreign nationals and illegal aliens lack proper training to drive heavy trucks. “These drivers squeeze American truckers out of the marketplace with low wage rates,” he said. Gorgon also said many illegal drivers haul drugs and guns for international crime syndicates.
Duffy said fraudulent operators have pushed down wages and pushed up costs for carriers. “With all the bad actors, insurance is one of the biggest complaints I hear, because all of the bad drivers on the road creating crashes and accidents are driving rates up,” he said. Liability insurance premiums in commercial trucking increased 18.6% from 2021 to 2024, according to the American Transportation Research Institute, as cited by The Center Square.
Duffy also said removing illegal truck drivers will not cause a driver shortage. “I have multiple generations of small trucking driving companies that might have 20, 30 rigs, they’re going out of business, because they can’t compete with the fraudster,” he said.
