Trump administration officials said Monday they ordered the emergency removal of 110 commercial driver’s license (CDL) training schools from the federal registry and shut down 150 more following a 23-state sweep. The Center Square reported the announcement came in Detroit, where U.S. Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy and U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin spoke alongside other federal officials and U.S. attorneys.
How officials say they found the schools
The Center Square reported that the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) reviewed roadside inspection records for commercial drivers cited for not meeting English Language Proficiency requirements. The agency said it compared those drivers with entries in the Training Provider Registry to identify training providers that repeatedly certified drivers who did not meet federal standards.
Duffy said, “A lot of the licenses unlawfully issued come from California, New York, a lot from Illinois,” adding that many violations happen in the Midwest, according to The Center Square. The Illinois Secretary of State’s office did not immediately respond to The Center Square’s request for comment.
Officials describe a coordinated sweep
Department of Homeland Security officials said a synchronized single-day operation targeted more than 200 training schools across 23 states, The Center Square reported. Mullin said, “Regardless if you’re in a sanctuary city or sanctuary state, that doesn’t keep you from having to answer to the law.”
DOJ task force announcement
According to The Center Square, 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.” The task force was described as including U.S. attorneys from Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, and Ohio.
Claims about safety, wages, and insurance
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 safely operate heavy trucks. “These drivers squeeze American truckers out of the marketplace with low wage rates,” Gorgon said, also alleging that many illegal drivers haul drugs and guns for international crime syndicates.
Duffy said fraudulent operators have driven up costs: “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.” Liability insurance premiums in commercial trucking rose 18.6% from 2021 to 2024, according to the American Transportation Research Institute.
Duffy added that removing illegal truck drivers would not cause a shortage, asserting that small, multi-generation trucking businesses are being undercut by fraudsters.
