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State official touts bill to revoke CDLs issued to unauthorized drivers
Summary
An agency official announced a bill intended to allow the state to revoke commercial driver's licenses issued to immigrants lacking authorization and to increase penalties for unlicensed drivers and employers; the official cited a recent audit and a joint operation that led to arrests as justification for continued enforcement.
An agency official said the state is pursuing a bill that would enable authorities to revoke commercial driver’s licenses issued to immigrants lacking proper authorization and to impose new penalties aimed at non‑licensed drivers and the companies that employ them. The official framed the measure as part of a broader push to protect public safety and called the employer‑targeting provisions particularly important.
The official said the state recently completed an audit of non‑domiciled CDLs and is in the process of removing "hundreds" of what the official described as illegally licensed drivers from Indiana roads. Describing a joint enforcement effort, the official said, "This was a joint operation with the Indiana State Police that resulted in the arrest of 223 illegal immigrants on Indiana highways near the Illinois state line, including 146 truck drivers." The official added, "Our highest duty is the safety of the citizens of our state and our country. And through strong enforcement we will keep our roads and highways safe. This is just the beginning."
The official thanked Representative Jim Pressel, Senator Mike Kreider and Attorney General Todd Rokita for their leadership on the issue and said the state has been working on enforcement efforts that began prior to the bill. When asked for exact totals, the official said a precise number was not available: "I can't give you that number," but pledged to "ferret out who might be a part of it." The official also acknowledged that many immigrants legally in the U.S. drive trucks and said enforcement must distinguish between lawful drivers and those who obtained licenses improperly: "a lot of immigrants legally here drive trucks. They understand the language. They understand what it needs to be to be a certified commercial driver's license holder."
The speaker said the state expects that many problematic CDLs have been issued in other states and urged that resolving the issue will require action by other states' enforcement agencies and legislatures. The official said the state will continue to coordinate with state police and federal partners and indicated follow‑up events, saying, "I think we're doing another one tomorrow and we'll entertain questions on that bill and other items as well."
