The Department of Transportation warned Colorado that the state could lose $24 million in federal highway funding if it continues to drag its feet on addressing illegally issued commercial driver's licenses, according to a press release exclusively obtained by Blaze News.

'Colorado has two options: Revoke the licenses immediately, or I will pull federal funding.'

In September, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy shared the results of a Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration audit, which found "systemic noncompliance" among state driver licensing agencies in several states, including Colorado.

The audit revealed that 22% of Colorado's non-domiciled CDLs were issued illegally. Most of those licenses were reportedly issued to Mexican nationals. Drivers who are citizens of Mexico or Canada are ineligible to obtain non-domiciled CDLs and must instead acquire licenses from their home countries.

Some of the CDLs issued to immigrants by Colorado reportedly had expiration dates that exceeded the drivers' lawful presence in the U.S.

The DOT demanded that the state immediately pull the illegal licenses to come into compliance with federal laws.

A Monday press release from the department claimed that Colorado had "admitted that these violations were not accidental, but the result of a 2016 statewide policy decision to disregard federal law and give trucking licenses to ineligible Mexican citizens."

Blaze News reached out to the Colorado Department of Transportation, the Colorado Division of Motor Vehicles, and the governor’s office for comment. The Colorado DOT directed Blaze News to contact the state’s Department of Revenue, which oversees the Division of Motor Vehicles.

Sean Duffy. Photographer: Ryan Collerd/Bloomberg via Getty Images

The DOT asserted that the state has been "slow-walking a purge of illegally issued truck licenses," cautioning that Colorado could lose $24 million in federal highway funds. The DOT also warned that it could decertify Colorado's CDL program.

According to the department, Colorado has not produced a complete audit or accounting of the illegal licenses.

"This continued delay signals a lack of urgency that puts public safety at risk," the press release read.

Photo by GEORGE FREY/AFP via Getty Images

"Colorado doesn't get to pick and choose what federal rules it follows — especially when the driving public is at risk," Secretary Duffy stated. "It's been nearly two months since Colorado admitted that they knowingly broke the law and gave Mexican nationals trucking licenses. Colorado has two options: Revoke the licenses immediately, or I will pull federal funding. Every day that goes by is another day unqualified, unvetted foreign truckers are jeopardizing the safety of you and your family."

Colorado received notice of its noncompliance in September, the same time the DOT also issued a similar notice to Texas. On September 29, the Texas Department of Public Safety announced that it had complied with the DOT's request and immediately suspended the issuance of certain CDLs.

Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

Illegal alien bus driver who can't speak English allegedly kills American while 'distracted by a video on his phone'

An American citizen was killed in a multi-vehicle pileup in Tennessee last week after an illegal alien bus driver allegedly rear-ended a semi-truck while driving along I-40.

This marks the latest fatal crash tied to an illegal alien who obtained a commercial driver's license in the United States despite unlawful status.

'Far too many innocent Americans have been killed by illegal aliens driving semi-trucks and big rigs.'

Yisong Huang, a 54-year-old Chinese national, illegally entered the U.S. in 2023. While he admitted to Border Patrol agents that he had unlawfully entered the country, the Biden administration released him and provided him with work authorization documents and a Social Security card, the Department of Homeland Security reported.

Huang used his work documents to obtain a Class B CDL in New York, which allowed him to operate a bus.

On December 9, Huang allegedly caused a multi-vehicle crash after he rear-ended a tractor-trailer. Investigators found that Huang was "distracted by a video on his phone."

The incident resulted in the death of American citizen Kerry Smith and injuries to two other individuals. There were no passengers on Huang's bus at the time of the crash.

Sean Duffy. Photo by Eric Lee/Getty Images

Huang failed his English proficiency test administered after the fatal collision.

"Far too many innocent Americans have been killed by illegal aliens driving semi-trucks and big rigs. And yet sanctuary states around the country have been issuing illegal aliens commercial driver's licenses. The Trump administration is ending the chaos," DHS Secretary Kristi Noem said. "The brave men and women of ICE are working nonstop to get criminal illegal aliens out of our communities and off our roads."

Kristi Noem. Photo by ALEX BRANDON/POOL/AFP via Getty Images

Department of Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said, "It's not just that Joe Biden let millions of migrants flood into our country illegally. His administration doled out the documentation these unqualified foreigner drivers needed to obtain trucking licenses and operate 40-ton missiles on the highway. The fact that this individual failed a basic English test also calls into question how he even got the license in the first place. Working with Secretary Noem, we will continue to fight to keep you and your family safe on America's roadways."

Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

Trump’s DOT claims 53% of New York’s non-domiciled CDLs were issued illegally

President Donald Trump's Department of Transportation announced new action against another Democratic-led state that it claims has been illegally issuing non-domiciled commercial driver's licenses.

On Friday morning, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy revealed that an audit from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration found that over half of New York state's non-domiciled CDLs were issued illegally. The audit sampled 200 records and discovered that 107, or 53%, were issued in violation of federal law.

'What we uncovered in New York is not an administrative oversight.'

There are reportedly 32,000 active non-domiciled CDLs that were issued by New York.

According to the DOT, the New York Department of Motor Vehicles defaulted to issuing eight-year licenses to foreign drivers who applied for non-REAL ID licenses, regardless of when their legal status expired.

"This systemic failure allows the state to blindly grant long-term commercial driving privileges to foreigners that expire long after the expiration of their lawful presence in the country," the DOT stated.

Additionally, the department claimed that New York failed to provide any evidence that it had verified the lawful presence of foreign individuals before issuing them commercial driver's licenses. In some instances, New York allegedly relied on expired lawful presence documents to issue licenses.

Sean Duffy. Photo by Eric Lee/Getty Images

As a result of the concerning findings, the DOT has demanded that New York immediately pause the issuance of new or renewed non-domiciled CDLs and commercial learner's permits.

The state has also been asked to conduct an internal audit to identify licenses that were issued in violation of federal regulations. The DOT warned that the state risks losing $73 million in federal highway funding if it fails to revoke all illegally issued licenses held by foreign drivers immediately.

"When more than half of the licenses reviewed were issued illegally, it isn't just a mistake — it is a dereliction of duty by state leadership. Gov. [Kathy] Hochul must immediately revoke these illegally issued licenses. If they refuse to follow the law, we will withhold federal highway funding," Duffy stated. "This administration will never stop fighting to keep you and your family safe on our roads."

Photo by GEORGE FREY/AFP via Getty Images

During a Friday morning press conference announcing the findings, Duffy explained that states that illegally issue CDLs endanger American drivers nationwide, since the licenses allow interstate operations.

Duffy described New York as the worst offender for issuing licenses in violation of federal law. The DOT has given New York 30 days to come into compliance.

California and New York account for half of the non-domiciled CDLs issued in the nation, Duffy stated.

"What we uncovered in New York is not an administrative oversight," FMCSA Administrator Derek Barrs stated during the press conference. "It's a systematically, grossly unacceptable deviation from a federal safety regulation that has been on the books for a long period of time."

Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

'Make travel family friendly again': Trump admin launches $1B effort to improve airport experience

The Trump administration's Departments of Transportation and Health and Human Services are teaming up to launch a new effort to "make travel family friendly again" by providing more family-friendly resources and healthier food options at America's airports.

On Monday, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy and Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. held a press conference at Reagan National Airport to announce a new family-friendly travel campaign that will allocate $1 billion in grant funding to airports to improve the travel experience.

'I can tell you that this is where healthy diets go to die.'

Duffy provided a few examples of how the funds could be used, such as play areas for children, nursing pods for breastfeeding mothers, workout spaces, and separate security lanes for families. He noted that the funds could be used for a range of investments and that the department was open to other improvement suggestions.

"It's pretty wide open on what airports want to ask for a grant," Duffy stated.

He stated that he has also reached out to the airlines to encourage them to consider how they could improve the travel experience.

As part of the new campaign, Duffy and Kennedy are advocating for healthy food options at the nation's airports.

Sean Duffy. Photo by Eric Lee/Getty Images

"I ... typically over the past 30 years, probably average 250 days a year in airports. And I can tell you that this is where healthy diets go to die," Kennedy said. "It's deep-fried food; it's sugar bombs; it's ultra-processed foods. And all of them are gonna leave you sicker than before you ate them."

During Monday's press conference, Duffy and Kennedy highlighted Farmer's Fridge, a company that operates vending machines offering salads, sandwiches, bowls, and oats. Luke Saunders, the CEO of Farmer's Fridge, who also attended the press conference, explained that he founded the company 12 years ago and that it now operates vending machines in over 30 U.S. airports.

"If you want to reach out to your airport authority and encourage them to participate in this money, please do that," Duffy said.

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Photo by Heather Diehl/Getty Images

Duffy noted that last week the department hired an integrator who will help convert the nation’s air travel technology from analog to digital.

In November, Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem stated that the Transportation Security Administration would roll out new security screening lanes at select airports for families with small children, as well as for veterans and active-duty military.

Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

Trump DOT threatens to pull millions from Tim Walz's state, boots 3,000 shady CDL trainers to clean up trucker licensing mess

The Trump administration’s Department of Transportation is taking significant steps to address issues within America’s trucking industry to improve road safety and national security.

On Monday, DOT Secretary Sean Duffy announced that the department has revoked nearly 3,000 of the estimated 16,000 commercial driver’s license training providers listed in the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s Training Provider Registry. The TPR lists all training providers authorized to offer entry-level driver training for CDL students.

'Under Joe Biden and Pete Buttigieg, bad actors were able to game the system and let unqualified drivers flood our roadways.'

The impacted training providers were accused of “failing to equip trainees with the Trump administration’s standards of readiness,” a press release from the DOT revealed.

Reasons for removal included “falsifying or manipulating training data”; “neglecting to meet required curriculum standards, facility conditions, or instructor qualifications”; and “failing to maintain accurate, complete documentation or refusing to provide records during federal audits or investigations.”

The department issued warnings to another 4,500 training providers for potential non-compliance. Those entities have 30 days to respond and deliver evidence of compliance to avoid removal.

The DOT noted that this action aims to crack down on unqualified truck drivers and “corrupt operators.”

Photo by GEORGE FREY/AFP via Getty Images

“If you are unwilling to follow the rules, you have no place training America’s commercial drivers. We will not tolerate negligence," said FMCSA Administrator Derek Barrs.

“This administration is cracking down on every link in the illegal trucking chain,” Duffy stated. “Under Joe Biden and Pete Buttigieg, bad actors were able to game the system and let unqualified drivers flood our roadways. Their negligence endangered every family on America’s roadways, and it ends today.”

“Under President Trump, we are reigning [sic] in illegal and reckless practices that let poorly trained drivers get behind the wheel of semi-trucks and school buses,” Duffy added.

Also on Monday, the DOT revealed that it found one-third of Minnesota’s non-domiciled CDLs were issued illegally.

The department is giving the state 30 days to come into compliance and revoke illegally issued licenses. The DOT is prepared to withhold up to $30.4 million in federal highway funding if Minnesota fails to comply.

Sean Duffy. Photographer: Eric Lee/Bloomberg via Getty Images

Barrs accused Minnesota of “openly and blatantly defying our rules.”

“Under the Trump administration, states have two choices: Meet our standards or face the consequences. Following the law is not optional,” he declared.

“Our audit exposes yet another example of foreigners taking advantage of Minnesota services under Governor Walz’s watch,” Duffy said. “Minnesota failed to follow the law and illegally doled out trucking licenses to unsafe, unqualified noncitizens — endangering American families on the road.”

This latest warning follows similar action the DOT has previously taken against Pennsylvania. The department has already vowed to withhold federal funds from California after the state failed to comply with its regulations concerning CDL issuance.

The Minnesota Department of Public Safety and the governor’s office did not respond to a request for comment.

Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

Biden turned American airports into migrant flophouses — forcing taxpayers to foot the bill

During the peak of the Biden administration’s open-border chaos, reports surfaced that foreign nationals were sleeping on airport floors around the nation, mainly due to over-capacity at local shelters.

In June 2024, more than 100 people reportedly camped out at Boston Logan International Airport. There were also reports that immigrants were sheltering at the San Diego International Airport and Chicago O’Hare International Airport.

'This report exposes how the Biden Department of Transportation conspired with local leaders in New York, Boston, and Chicago to house migrants in airport facilities at taxpayer expense.'

A new report by the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation found that the Biden administration played a role in this situation by directing multiple federal agencies to identify airports to serve as shelter space or processing facilities for foreign nationals, Fox News Digital reported on Monday. This action was directed to the Department of Transportation, the Federal Aviation Administration, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, and the Federal Transit Administration.

The DOT and the FAA were reportedly instructed to “inventory available facilities,” including airports owned by the federal government and those owned locally, to “divert federal resources” to support the influx of arriving foreign nationals.

The committee found that at least 11 of the nation’s airports were pressured to allow migrants to shelter inside terminals, hangars, and auxiliary buildings, Fox News Digital reported. This pressure campaign included Boston Logan, Chicago O’Hare, and John F. Kennedy in New York.

Massport told Blaze News that it informed federal officials that the airport was “not designed or resourced to manage the intake of migrant populations,” warning that it “would create a host of unintended safety and security consequences.”

Jodi Hilton for The Washington Post via Getty Images

The committee highlighted an incident at the JFK Airport in 2024 in which a national from Ecuador “ran past a security post into ‘the secure area' ... toward two runways.” Security apprehended the individual, who was found in possession of a box cutter and scissors.

The report claimed that FAA officials were aware that such actions may require federal approval under grant-assurance rules, but they “ignored them most of the time when airports used their facilities to house aliens.”

Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images

“The Biden-Harris administration made airports and aviation less secure,” the committee’s report stated. It argued that the administration allowed and even encouraged “aliens to shelter at U.S. airports, by allowing improperly vetted aliens to fly into and throughout the United States, and by diverting needed federal air marshals to the border.”

Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), the chairman of the committee, told Fox News Digital, “This report exposes how the Biden Department of Transportation conspired with local leaders in New York, Boston, and Chicago to house migrants in airport facilities at taxpayer expense.”

“Their decisions — to transport illegal aliens through airports without identity checks, even those with felonies — shows in new detail how Biden’s open-border policy co-opted government agencies to put American citizens at risk,” Cruz said.

Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

Trump DOT hammers Gov. Shapiro, threatens to pull millions after state hands CDL to 'suspected terrorist' illegal alien trucker

The Department of Transportation issued a warning on Thursday to Pennsylvania that it is at risk of losing tens of millions of dollars in federal funding, according to a department press release obtained by Blaze News.

The DOT sent a letter to Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro (D) and state DOT Secretary Michael Carroll stating that the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration uncovered "evidence of procedural and programming errors" in the state's issuance of non-domiciled commercial learner's permits and driver's licenses.

'Joe Biden allowed tens of millions of illegals to pour into our country through open borders, including a suspected terrorist who Pennsylvania then allowed to get behind the wheel of a semitruck.'

Pennsylvania issued CDLs with expiration dates beyond the foreign nationals' lawful presence in the country, according to the DOT. Further, the state was accused of issuing licenses without requiring drivers to provide proof of lawful presence in the U.S. The department also stated that other non-domiciled CDLs were issued to lawful permanent residents who were eligible for regular CDLs.

Of 150 records reviewed by the FMCSA, two instances were found in which PennDOT issued non-domiciled CDLs with expiration dates that extended beyond the drivers' lawful presence. The FMCSA uncovered four cases in which the department failed to provide evidence that it required drivers to present lawful residence documents. Lastly, the FMCSA identified two instances in which the department issued a non-domiciled CDL to individuals who were eligible for a regular CDL.

The DOT noted that 12,400 drivers hold an unexpired non-domiciled CLP or CDL issued by Pennsylvania.

The federal department demanded that Pennsylvania take "immediate corrective action" or risk the decertification of its CDL program and losing certain federal-aid highway funds. The corrective action includes an immediate pause on the issuance of all non-domiciled CLPs and CDLs, as well as an internal audit to identify procedural errors. Pennsylvania is also required to identify and void all unexpired non-domiciled CLPs and CDLs that were improperly issued.

Josh Shapiro. Photo by Kyle Mazza/Anadolu via Getty Images

Failure to comply may lead to the DOT withholding $75,500,000 in funding for fiscal year 2027.

Thursday's warning is part of the DOT's greater effort to crack down on road safety and national security concerns related to the flood of illegal aliens that joined the trucking industry amid the Biden administration's open-border crisis. The DOT has already withheld funds from California over similar violations.

Akhror Bozorov. Image source: Department of Homeland Security

"Under President Trump, this department is taking every measure to ensure dangerous foreign drivers aren't illegally operating 40-ton vehicles on American roads," Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy stated. "Joe Biden allowed tens of millions of illegals to pour into our country through open borders, including a suspected terrorist who Pennsylvania then allowed to get behind the wheel of a semitruck. I will continue to fight to get these dangerous drivers off our roads to protect American families and support our national security."

Duffy's statement presumably referred to Akhror Bozorov, a 31-year-old truck driver from Uzbekistan who was recently arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The agency stated that Bozorov was accused of belonging to a terrorist organization. He was issued a non-domiciled CDL with REAL ID by Pennsylvania.

Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

Newsom's state 'caught red-handed' illegally issuing thousands of commercial driver’s licenses to foreign truckers: DOT

California illegally issued thousands of commercial driver's licenses, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation.

A Wednesday morning press release from the department claimed that the state’s Department of Motor Vehicles “has admitted to illegally issuing 17,000 non-domiciled Commercial Driver’s Licenses (CDLs) to dangerous foreign drivers.”

'This is just the tip of the iceberg.'

Those who were issued the allegedly illegal licenses have been notified that those licenses no longer meet federal requirements and will expire in 60 days.

The DOT credited the findings to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s ongoing nationwide audit of non-domiciled CDLs. The review revealed “systemic policy, procedural, and programming errors in California’s non-domiciled CDL program,” the department reported.

“The audit also found that more than one in four of the non-domiciled CDL records sampled in California failed to comply with federal regulations. This includes issuing licenses that extended well beyond a foreigner’s work permit,” the DOT wrote.

Sean Duffy. Photographer: Francis Chung/Politico/Bloomberg via Getty Images

The department threatened in August to withhold funding from California if it refused to comply with English language proficiency requirements for truck drivers.

The California Highway Patrol indicated in July that it had no plans to place commercial drivers out of service for failing to meet ELP standards.

In October, the DOT announced that it was withholding $40 million from the blue state.

Photographer: Shelby Tauber/Bloomberg via Getty Images

The DOT stated that it will continue to pressure California to revoke illegally issued non-domiciled CDLs, noting that it is prepared to withhold $160 million in funding for noncompliance.

“After weeks of claiming they did nothing wrong, Gavin Newsom and California have been caught red-handed. Now that we’ve exposed their lies, 17,000 illegally issued trucking licenses are being revoked,” Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy said. “This is just the tip of the iceberg. My team will continue to force California to prove they have removed every illegal immigrant from behind the wheel of semitrucks and school buses.”

Newsom’s office and the California DMV did not respond to Blaze News' request for comment.

Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

'Slow-walking' safety? Trump DOT threatens to yank $24M over Colorado's illegal CDL mess.

Illegal alien bus driver who can't speak English allegedly kills American while 'distracted by a video on his phone'

Trump’s DOT claims 53% of New York’s non-domiciled CDLs were issued illegally

'Make travel family friendly again': Trump admin launches $1B effort to improve airport experience

Trump DOT threatens to pull millions from Tim Walz's state, boots 3,000 shady CDL trainers to clean up trucker licensing mess

Biden turned American airports into migrant flophouses — forcing taxpayers to foot the bill

Duffy Threatens To Pull $75 Million In Road Funds After PA Gave An Alleged Terrorist A CDL

Trump DOT hammers Gov. Shapiro, threatens to pull millions after state hands CDL to 'suspected terrorist' illegal alien trucker

Trump’s Transportation Department Necessarily Brings Back Shaming, Thank God

Newsom's state 'caught red-handed' illegally issuing thousands of commercial driver’s licenses to foreign truckers: DOT

Congress Eyes Sanctions on China's Political Warfare Machine

Wisconsin’s Lib-Led Supreme Court Stacks The Congressional Map Deck

Reid Hoffman Stands By Smartmatic Amid Latest Bribery Charges After Gifting Firm $25M To Fight Election Reporting

6 Reasons Parents Shouldn’t Blindly Trust ‘Classic’ Book Lists From Corrupt Academics

The MAGA divide over Israel is a test of maturity

How I Started A Private Library When My Public Library Ditched The Classics

AG Bondi targets Tesla vandals — vows to expose bankrollers of destruction

We’ll keep you informed with top stories for conservatives who want to become informed decision makers.