Texas has stopped granting commercial driver licenses to DACA recipients, refugees and people granted asylum, the state Department of Public Safety announced Monday.
Effective immediately, the agency will no longer issue, renew or reissue commercial driver licenses (CDLs) or commercial learner permits (CLPs) for people without legal status who are refugees, asylees or recipients of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, also known as DACA. CDLs are typically required to operate large commercial vehicles like semi-trailer trucks and buses.
The department said pending applications in those categories will not move forward, and applicants will be barred from completing written or skills testing until services are reinstated.
The move comes days after a federal emergency rule tightened CDL eligibility for those who lack legal status. According to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, a nationwide audit uncovered "a catastrophic pattern" of ineligible issuance, including licenses valid after lawful presence had expired.
According to the new federal rule, people without legal status can only qualify for a CDL if they hold an employment-based visa and pass a mandatory federal immigration status check. Texas goes further by blocking refugees, asylees and DACA recipients from getting one altogether.
Earlier this month, Gov. Greg Abbott directed DPS troopers and commercial vehicle inspectors to begin conducting English language proficiency reviews of commercial drivers.
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