A dispute between Illinois and federal regulators over commercial driver’s licenses is escalating after the U.S. Department of Transportation found that roughly 20% of CDLs issued to foreign nationals were granted in violation of federal law, raising compliance concerns and putting millions in federal funding at risk.
The debate comes amid heightened national scrutiny of illegal immigrants holding CDLs following a string of fatal crashes.
In a March 19 letter, Alexi Giannoulias formally pushed back against a Feb. 17 preliminary finding by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, which concluded Illinois was not in “substantial compliance” with federal rules governing non-domiciled commercial driver’s licenses (CDLs).
The federal agency said it “obtained evidence of policy and procedural errors” and determined the state “failed to meet the requirement for substantial compliance.”
The findings were based on a 2025 audit of 150 cases, 29 of which were deemed non-compliant.
According to federal regulators, the Illinois Secretary of State’s Office “issued non-domiciled CLPs or CDLs but could not provide any evidence that it verified the drivers’ lawful presence” and, in other cases, issued licenses “without providing evidence that, at the time the transaction occurred, it verified the drivers’ lawful presence.”
Federal officials described the issues as systemic, citing “policy, procedural, and programming errors” and “a breakdown in SOS’s issuance process,” and warned the state “must take immediate corrective action…to address the deficiencies identified.”
ICE agents enforce language proficiency tests on truck drivers, allegedly impounding semi-trucks when drivers fail to demonstrate required English skills. (Facebook / American truck driver)
Failure to comply could result in the withholding of up to $128.6 million in federal highway funds and possible decertification of the state’s CDL program.
Giannoulias rejected the conclusions, stating the office “strongly disagrees with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s (FMCSA) preliminary findings.”
“Illinois’ CDL program has followed the required regulations and will continue to remain in compliance with state and federal laws,” Giannoulias’ letter reads.
The state also signaled it will not immediately revoke the licenses flagged by federal regulators.
“[N]othing FMCSA presented would justify potentially cutting the $128 million in federal highway funding that Illinois receives or taking adverse actions against Illinois,” Giannoulias wrote.
He warned such steps would disrupt “the trucking, farming and supply-chain industries.”
While Illinois agreed to review the cases flagged by federal regulators, it resisted immediate enforcement measures.
The state said it “will downgrade or cancel as appropriate” if problems are confirmed, but emphasized that licenses identified by FMCSA “as improperly issued but which SOS asserts were properly issued will not be downgraded or cancelled ” during the review.
Officials reiterated they “will not downgrade or cancel the CDL or CLP” until additional information is considered.
A similar effort in California led to the CDLs of 17,000 illegal aliens being revoked last fall.
The dispute has drawn attention from critics, including independent Chicago-based journalist Julie Kelly, who has closely followed the issue.
“[T]he IL Secretary of State has rejected FMCSA’s preliminary finding that at least 20% of all non domiciled CDLs—-truck driver’s licenses given to foreigners, some here illegally, who don’t officially reside in the state—were issued in violation of federal law,” Kelly said on X on March 24.
“It also appears IL SOS will not revoke the specific CDLs that FMCSA identified in its audit sample. This includes CDLs issued to foreigners whose work authorization had expired and/or did not otherwise provide required documents.”“A few CDLs were issued to drivers who did not identify a country of origin.”
Kelly warned of potential consequences if the state does not comply with federal demands.
“If IL SOS refuses to cooperate with terms provided by FMCSA, Illinois could lose up to $128 million in federal funds so IL can keep issuing truck driver’s licenses to foreigners,” Kelly wrote.
Earlier in the week, Kelly had predicted the state’s response. “It appears the IL Secretary of State’s office has denied DOT’s findings that determined at least 20% of all non-domiciled commercial driver’s licenses issued by the SOS were unlawful,’ Kelly said in a March 18 post to X.
“IL SOS claims all federal regulations were followed (more details to come) and it’s unclear whether the SOS office submitted a corrective action plan as the DOT required. A lengthy audit found systemic problems in the SOS office’s oversight of giving out licenses to illegals to drive 80,000 pound potential death machines,” Kelly said on X.
“The audit also found IL SOS has issued nearly 11,000 non-domiciled CDLS in recent years with a huge spike in 2023 and 2024.”
In a Feb. 11 post on X, Kelly also raised broader concerns about the state’s CDL licensing program.
“Driving schools across the country offer CDL (commercial driver’s license) courses in several languages. The schools then boast of sky high passage rates—but tests are supposed to be administered in English, particularly field tests. How is this happening?” Kelly wrote.
The heightened scrutiny comes amid a string of fatal crashes involving foreign semi-truck drivers.
In December 2025, Rajinder Kumar, an Indian national in Oregon, was charged with killing a newlywed couple after being issued a California CDL.
Only two weeks later Huang Yisong, a 54-year-old Chinese national, faced vehicular homicide charges in a Tennessee tour bus crash despite holding a New York CDL obtained through federal work authorization.
Earlier in October, Broko Stankovic, an illegal immigrant in Indiana, allegedly caused a fatal semi-truck crash while driving with a suspended family member’s CDL.
That same month, 21-year-old Jashanpreet Singh, another illegal immigrant from India, allegedly drove a semi-truck under the influence on California’s I-10 Freeway, killing three and injuring several others after being released into the U.S. following his 2022 border crossing.
In August 2025, Harjinder Singh, an Indian national in Florida, was involved in a deadly 18-wheeler crash that killed three Haitian immigrants. Singh appeared in court in January 2026 wearing a turban while facing vehicular manslaughter and reckless driving charges.
Republican lawmakers, including U.S. Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) and U.S. Rep. Andy Barr (R-Ky.), sponsors of the Secure Commercial Driver Licensing Act of 2025, have cited such incidents in calls for federal oversight to ensure drivers are properly trained.
“CDL mills are substandard training programs that offer quick credentials, and recent incidents and reports indicate these mills are prioritizing volume over proper safety and training requirements,” Cotton and Barr wrote.
The legislation would give the federal government the authority to revoke a state’s ability to issue CDLs to foreigners.
Similarly, American Truckers United has announced its endorsement of “Delilah’s Law” (H.R. 5688), describing the amended legislation as a comprehensive effort to strengthen commercial driver’s license standards and improve highway safety.
The bill is named after Dalilah Coleman, a young girl who was tragically injured and sustained life-changing injuries after a crash caused by an illegal alien.
American Truckers United highlighted several core provisions, including “A clear ban on issuing non-domicile CDs to illegal aliens,” “Revocation of existing non-domicile CDs through a new recertification processes” and “Immediate out-of-service enforcement for drivers lacking English proficiency.”
The organization said the bill also includes accountability measures requiring states to demonstrate compliance, with penalties such as withholding federal funding for those that fail to meet standards. Additional provisions target broader industry practices, including bans on foreign dispatchers and brokers and stricter enforcement against fraudulent “CDL mills.”
American Truckers United described the legislation as “meaningful progress” toward improving roadway safety, supporting lawful drivers, and “restor[ing] integrity to the commercial driver’s license system,” while urging Congress to pass the bill.
