New York May Lose $73M in Federal Highway Funds Over Improper Immigrant CDLs
New York is facing the possible loss of $73 million in federal highway funding after federal investigators found problems with how the state issued certain commercial driver’s licenses to immigrants, according to information released Friday by the U.S. Department of Transportation and reported by The Associated Press.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said federal investigators reviewed 200 non-domiciled commercial driver’s licenses issued in New York and found that more than half were issued improperly. Duffy said the federal government will withhold the funds unless New York fixes the process and revokes any flawed licenses.
At the center of the dispute is whether some CDLs remained valid after a driver’s authorization to be in the U.S. expires. Investigators said several licenses defaulted to being valid for eight years regardless of when an immigrant’s work permit ends, which conflicts with federal requirements.
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration found the state issued 107 CDLs that violated U.S. law, an error rate described as 53%. Under the federal warning, that level of noncompliance could result in $73 million being withheld from highway aid.
Federal officials said New York is the eighth state where investigators have found similar issues. The broader concern raised by the federal government is that states must ensure commercial licenses issued to non-domiciled drivers do not outlast the legal documents tied to a driver’s authorization to live and work in the country.
For working drivers, the issue matters on two fronts: the integrity of CDL issuance and oversight, and the potential impact on highway funding that supports the roads and infrastructure used every day. Federal officials said the money remains at risk until the state corrects the system and addresses licenses found to be improperly issued.