California is revoking 17,000 commercial driver's licences after an audit found they were given to thousands of immigrants who are no longer legally allowed in the US

California's Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) is set to revoke approximately 17,000 commercial driver's licenses (CDLs) issued to non-citizens following a federal audit that uncovered discrepancies in expiration dates. The audit found that these licenses were extended beyond the holders' legal residency periods in the United States, violating federal standards for non-domiciled CDLs.This move comes amid heightened scrutiny from the Trump administration, which has accused the state of improperly issuing licenses to individuals who may no longer be legally present in the country.The revocations stem from a review by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), which highlighted that California had not aligned CDL expiration dates with the immigrants' authorized stays.Affected drivers, many of whom are immigrants, have been notified that their licenses will expire in 60 days unless they can provide updated proof of legal residency.This action follows earlier tensions, including Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy's decision to withhold $160 million in federal funding from California over similar concerns about issuing CDLs to undocumented individuals.Governor Gavin Newsom has pushed back against claims that the revocations are tied to immigration status, insisting they are solely for "violations of state law" and not influenced by federal pressure or anti-immigrant policies.In a statement, Newsom emphasized that the state is adhering to existing standards, though critics argue the timing aligns with the new administration's focus on border security.Others criticize it as potentially discriminatory, with concerns about its impact on the trucking industry, which relies heavily on immigrant labor. Freight industry experts note that while the revocations address regulatory gaps, they could exacerbate driver shortages in a sector already facing challenges.