Truck drivers say 'racism' behind Trump administration's license restrictions on immigrants

[BumRushDaShow]

Source: The Guardian

Tue 26 May 2026 06.00 EDT
Last modified on Tue 26 May 2026 06.01 EDT


Nearly 200,000 US truck drivers are at risk of losing their commercial driver’s licenses after the US Department of Transportation (DOT) issued a new rule that disqualifies many foreign-born truck drivers from getting or renewing their licenses. Tens of thousands of immigrant drivers are stuck in a limbo after the rule took effect in March, and lawsuits challenging the rule are still being reviewed by federal courts.

The rule restricts licenses to immigrants who have specific employment authorization statuses, disqualifying those with other authorizations, including asylum seekers, refugees and those with Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (Daca) status. The rule has shaken immigrant drivers who have spent years dedicated to the industry.

Sarabjeet Singh, a truck driver from India who has worked in central California for the past 12 years, said he attempted to renew his license last month when it expired but was turned away. Kavita Patel, Singh’s wife, said the loss of his license has been devastating for their whole family.

“This not only affected us financially, but this is a huge burden mentally, emotionally, physically,” she said. “People think you can just find another job, but your entire skill set [and] experience has been built around driving this big rig.” “It’s kind of a fear and helplessness that comes from waking up one day and realizing, ‘Oh, guess what, your career that you built is suddenly all gone in one night,’” she added. A spokesperson for the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration deferred comment to a press release on the policy. They denied the policy change toward immigrants is racist.

Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/may/26/trump-truck-drivers-immigration

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Of course it is and when pointed out, you are told to sit down and shut up because calling out racism is "identity politics".

[MissMillie]

1. a shortage of truck drivers

can only cause the cost of goods to RISE.

"Affordability" was NEVER on DJT's radar.

[ChicagoTeamster]

2. If this misadministration thinks that young white males will come crawling out of the woodwork to fill labor shortages

in all of the career fields where they have been preventing immigrants from working they will be sadly mistaken. There aren't enough young working age people. Agriculture, meat processing, construction, transporting goods and services, hi tech manufacturing, all have labor shortages that were being filled by immigrant labor.

[slightlv]

3. They'll just build more self driving trucks, wont that feel safe? Nt

[wolfie001]

4. Those jobs are horrible

I'm retired Union Grocery and I can confirm 100%. Pay is the prime motivator, and US companies are shitty and don't want to pay appropriate wages generally. There are exceptions of course. But overall, it's awful work.

[TexasBushwhacker]

5. It IS awful work. Most truck drivers are hired as 1099 contractors

Between eating fast food on the road, not getting quality sleep and driving 11 hours a day (and staying alert), it's hard on their bodies. I worked at the Austin distribution center at Whole Foods and many of the drivers had back pain, knee pain, etc. They looked OLD for their age.

To make a decent living, they have to drive all the time, away from friends and family. Honestly, I think auto driving trucks is the way to go in the long term.

[wolfie001]

6. YES! I've seen some truckers documenting the Byzantine system of rules and regulations and pay

Some content creators on YouTube. My gawd it was dystopian.