Mary Fanning of The American Report said on March 24 that those responsible for the licensing of unqualified commercial drivers should face imprisonment. Fanning’s comments come amid ongoing federal scrutiny into state-level commercial driver licensing programs.
The issue has gained attention following recent audits and enforcement actions targeting fraudulent practices in the trucking industry. Fanning made the statement in a post on X that connected a congressional hearing exchange about non-domiciled commercial driver license (CDL) drivers for the United States Postal Service to broader licensing issues. The post referenced the historical Operation Safe Road scandal in Illinois, where bribes for commercial driver licenses contributed to a deadly highway crash. This comes as federal officials continue to review state programs for compliance with immigration and safety standards, according to FreightWaves.
A February 2026 audit by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration revealed that nearly one in five non-domiciled commercial driver licenses issued in Illinois went to foreign nationals whose lawful presence had expired or was never verified. The violations prompted a preliminary determination of noncompliance and an immediate pause on new or renewed non-domiciled CDLs in the state. Illinois now faces the potential loss of more than $128 million in federal highway funding if the issues remain uncorrected, according to the Department of Transportation.
The U.S. Department of Transportation has expanded a nationwide crackdown on fraudulent ‘chameleon’ trucking firms and shell-company networks that hire illegal immigrants as drivers with invalid credentials. These operations undermine legitimate carriers and increase risks on highways where heavy commercial vehicles travel daily, according to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration as reported by Fox Business.
Fanning said, “Gov. George Ryan of Illinois was put in prison because of illegal CDL licenses, where 6 children were killed. Imprison Gov Newsom and all involved in perpetrating licensing of dangerous, illegal drivers, including the trucking company CEOs who hire these dangerous, illegal killers,” according to her post on X.
Mary Fanning serves as an investigative journalist covering national security and government accountability for The American Report. Her reporting frequently examines policy failures at the intersection of immigration enforcement and public infrastructure safety. Fanning has co-authored multiple works detailing intelligence and domestic security topics through the outlet.
