A House Republican lawmaker introduced a bill on Wednesday to crack down on states that give illegal immigrants commercial driver licenses, or CDLs.
The House legislation, spearheaded by Rep. Barr, R-Ky., is named ‘Dalilah’s Law’ in honor of Dalilah Coleman, the five-year-old who was nearly killed by an illegal immigrant driving an 18-wheeler ran a stop sign in California.
“If you are an illegal, you should be deported, not handed the keys to the most powerful vehicles on the road,” Barr told The Daily Signal. “Dalilah Coleman is one of too many Americans who have been injured or killed by an illegal operating our most dangerous vehicles unlawfully.”
Coleman was recognized by President Donald Trump during his State of the Union address on Feb. 24, and the president called on Congress to ban illegal immigrants from commercial truck driving.
“Many, if not most, illegal aliens do not speak English and cannot read even the most basic road signs as to direction, speed, danger, or location,” the president said. “That’s why tonight, I’m calling on Congress to pass what we will call the Dalilah Law, barring any state from granting commercial driver’s licenses to illegal aliens.”
Barr’s bill has companion legislation in the Senate. Sen. Jim Banks, R-Ind., introduced the legislation in the upper chamber last week, and shared a statement with The Daily Signal that said, “Americans are paying the price” because illegal drivers are “being handed” CDL’s “like candy.”
“That stops now,” Banks added.
The National Conference of State Legislatures noted that approximately 1 million commercial driver’s licenses have been administered to illegal immigrants since 2013.
Barr’s and Banks’ legislation would require states to limit commercial driver’s licenses to U.S. citizens, lawful permanent residents, and certain temporary work visa holders in order to receive any Department of Transportation funding.
It requires states to revoke CDLs issued to undocumented immigrants or individuals without qualifying legal status, even if they previously had work authorization.
The law also mandates English-only CDL testing to ensure that all commercial drivers possess the language skills necessary for safe operation on American roads.
If enacted, the legislation would also strengthen verification processes and recertification requirements to ensure ongoing compliance with eligibility and safety standards.
Executive Director of the Center for Immigration Studies Mark Krikorian recently told The Daily Signal that states like California have been able to bypass existing laws by outsourcing the vetting and training programs for commercial driving applicants to third party training academies, who are known for certifying unqualified drivers willing to work for a lower wage.
“States issue CDLs based on the say-so of driving schools. Many drivers have never had a representative from Department of Motor Vehicles with them in the vehicle during a driving test,” Krikorian said.
“President Trump is 100% right than this needs to end, and I’ll lead the fight with Senator Banks to make sure this is done,” Barr added.
