BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KERO) — Sikh and Indian truck drivers in Kern County say they are being unfairly targeted as federal changes threaten to revoke commercial driver's licenses from immigrants who have green cards and work visas.
Last month, the Trump administration tightened rules on who can get a commercial driver's license. Of nearly 200,000 visa-holding truck drivers, only about 10,000 would keep their licenses under the new regulations. The move follows a highly publicized deadly August crash in Florida involving an Indian driver.
"The right-wing media has obsessed over accidents involving specifically Sikh drivers, cherry picking tragedies to paint a false and dangerous picture that brown people with turbans are a threat to public safety," Assemblywoman Dr. Jasmeet Bains said.
Bains said while courts have temporarily blocked the rule at a federal level, California officials moved forward with the DMV sending notices to about 17,000 drivers, telling them their licenses would be revoked in 60 days.
"That means in 60 days they lose their jobs, their trucks, and their financial certainty," Bains said.
Bains calls it a direct hit on California, where half of U.S. Sikhs live and Sikhs account for 40% of truck drivers. Dave Laut, a Sikh American who heads the Bakersfield Trucking Association, says up to 7,000 Kern drivers could be left without licenses and without paychecks.
"One driver has been driving, 20, 25 years, and he has proven himself, he is a safe driver, and how can you define this safe or unsafe driver on immigration status?" Laut said.
Laut says removing experienced drivers from the road could make highways less safe and impact supply chains across the region.
"It's not only trucking; whoever is related to trucking will be impacted. Drivers who have the payments, house payments, car payments, everything will be impacted if they don't have a job," Laut said.
The Department of Transportation says the licenses are being revoked after an audit found the California DMV issued some CDLs with expiration dates extending beyond a driver's legal work authorization. Bains and Laut say the DMV should instead work with drivers to correct the discrepancy rather than immediately revoking licenses.
Bains is calling on Governor Gavin Newsom to intervene.
"I have three kids, I want to make sure the roads are safe, but DMV needs to fix their system to provide safe drivers, produce good drivers," Laut said.
Laut says drivers who are impacted have until January 5 until their CDL license is revoked.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
Stay in Touch with Us Anytime, Anywhere:
