Nearly 20,000 migrant truck drivers have filed a lawsuit against the California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) over plans to cancel their commercial driver’s licenses (CDLs). The drivers say the move could leave them without jobs and disrupt essential services across the state.
The lawsuit was filed on Tuesday by the Asian Law Caucus and the Sikh Coalition, along with a private law firm. It aims to stop the DMV from revoking non-domiciled CDLs starting January 5, 2026. According to the complaint, the cancellations could cause widespread work stoppages in the transport sector.
The legal action represents the Jakara Movement and five individual drivers, but it could affect a total of 19,999 immigrant truckers. The lawsuit claims the DMV made errors when issuing licenses by listing incorrect expiration dates linked to work permits or legal status documents.
In November, the DMV sent notices to 17,299 drivers informing them their licenses would be canceled in January 2026. Another 2,700 drivers received similar notices in December, with cancellations expected in February. The drivers say the DMV failed to provide a clear process to correct the issue or challenge the decision.
Under California rules, the expiration date of a CDL for an immigrant driver must match the end date of their legal stay or work authorization. The lawsuit argues that instead of fixing the dates, the DMV chose to cancel the licenses entirely, even in cases where drivers were still legally authorised to work.
The lawsuit also claims that some drivers who received cancellation letters appear to be fully compliant with the law. In one case, a driver was notified despite his license expiring on the same day as his work permit. In another case, a driver said he felt pressured by DMV staff to surrender his CDL out of fear of losing his regular driver’s license.
Advocates warn that the impact of the cancellations would extend beyond the drivers themselves. Migrant truckers play a key role in transporting food, goods, and essential supplies. The lawsuit argues that removing thousands of drivers from the workforce could harm supply chains and local economies.
California officials have disputed claims that the licenses were issued illegally. However, the issue has drawn national attention, especially after pressure from the federal government to tighten oversight of commercial licenses as part of broader immigration enforcement efforts.
The lawsuit asks the court to block the cancellations and require the DMV to allow affected drivers to receive corrected licenses without losing their right to work.
What are the drivers asking the court to do?
They want the court to stop the license cancellations and order the DMV to fix any errors without interrupting their driving jobs.