Starting immediately, Texas will stop issuing and renewing commercial driver’s licenses (CDLs) for DACA recipients, refugees, and people with asylum. This change was announced by the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) on Monday. CDLs are needed for driving vehicles like trucks, buses, cement mixers, garbage trucks, and even party vans for business purposes.
Last year, Texas issued over 220,000 commercial licenses, with about 6,200 given to legal noncitizens classified as non-domicile licenses—roughly 3% of the total. Refugees make up around 1.2% of truck drivers in Texas, and DACA-eligible individuals account for about 1.1%, according to the American Immigration Council.
The DPS said all pending applications for these groups will be canceled. They say this move is to keep Texas roads safe. This policy follows a national directive from President Donald Trump, who recently pushed to limit non-citizens from obtaining CDLs and warned states that don’t comply could lose federal funding.
Governor Greg Abbott also ordered stricter enforcement of English language skills for commercial drivers. He emphasized that drivers must speak English clearly to follow safety rules and prevent accidents. John Esparza, president of the Texas Trucking Association, supports the policy, saying it aims to take unsafe drivers off the roads and reduce fraud, which impacts safety and the economy.
DACA, or Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, is a program started during the Obama administration that gave work permits and protection from deportation to certain undocumented immigrants who arrived as children.
This new Texas rule adds to recent federal actions targeting immigration. For example, President Trump has also introduced a $100,000 fee for H-1B visas, commonly held by workers in specialized fields like technology.
The Texas Department of Public Safety’s decision represents a sharp shift in how the state handles commercial driver licensing for immigrants holding certain legal statuses, reflecting ongoing debates over immigration and workplace safety across the country.