WASHINGTON — The Trump administration is touting the removal of nearly 10,000 commercial truck drivers from U.S. highways after they failed federally mandated English-language proficiency checks, a move that has sparked sharp debate across the freight industry.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy highlighted the enforcement action in a social media post Wednesday, amplifying a Bloomberg report that detailed how the administration’s immigration policies are disrupting trucking operations nationwide.
“We’ve now knocked 9,500 truck drivers out of service for failing to speak our national language — ENGLISH!” Duffy wrote. “This administration will always put you and your family’s safety first.”
Crackdown Accelerates
According to Bloomberg’s analysis of federal data, more than 9,500 truck drivers have been taken out of service since late June for failing English-language checks conducted by federal inspectors.
In late April, the Department of Transportation instructed enforcement officers to immediately remove drivers from service if they could not “sufficiently read or speak English,” citing safety concerns and referencing two fatal crashes involving commercial vehicles.
While English is widely spoken across the United States, it was not formally designated as the nation’s official language until President Donald Trump signed an executive order in March. Legal experts note the order has limited legal force, though it signals a shift in federal enforcement priorities.
Industry Impact and Legal Pushback
The trucking industry says the policy is creating confusion and financial strain. Companies report increased disruptions, rising insurance costs, and drivers refusing routes in certain states out of fear of being targeted.
Some drivers have reportedly been forced to abandon their trucks, leaving companies to cover towing costs and transportation home.
“These are experienced drivers,” said Vadym Shpak, an Illinois-based trucking company owner. “They get pulled over, told their English isn’t good enough, and suddenly the business absorbs all the costs.”
A federal court has temporarily blocked the administration’s effort to restrict commercial driver’s licenses (CDLs) for foreign-born applicants, though immigration enforcement operations continue.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents have arrested hundreds of truck drivers nationwide under the administration. In mid-November, coordinated stops along the New York State Thruway near Buffalo and Syracuse resulted in 37 arrests, including drivers holding valid CDLs from nine states.
Worker Advocates Raise Concerns
Labor and immigration advocates argue the language tests are unnecessary and counterproductive.
“There has been tremendous confusion, anxiety, and fear among many drivers,” said Josh Rosenthal, a workers’ rights attorney with the Asian Law Caucus. “These tests are getting in the way of the actual business of transporting goods.”
Federal data show foreign-born workers made up roughly 16% of U.S. truck drivers in 2023, a significant portion of an industry already facing chronic labor shortages.
“The industry’s long-term health depends on a steady flow of skilled drivers,” said Arturo Castellanos-Canales of the National Immigration Forum. “Restrictive policies risk undermining supply chains and economic stability.”
A Workforce Under Strain
According to the American Trucking Associations, approximately 3.58 million professional truck drivers were employed in the U.S. in 2024. Industry leaders warn that further enforcement could deepen shortages, increase shipping delays, and raise consumer prices.
For now, the administration maintains that the measures are about safety, not labor policy — but the ripple effects across America’s supply chains are already being felt.
SHOCK MOVE: Senate Approves Trump-Backed Spending Cuts — Billions on the Chopping Block!
SHOCK MOVE: Senate Approves Trump-Backed Spending Cuts — Billions on the Chopping Block!
The U.S. Senate approved a $9 billion federal spending rescission package in a 51-48 vote early Thursday, delivering a significant victory for President Donald Trump’s push to downsize government. The measure includes major cuts to foreign aid and eliminates subsidies for National Public Radio and PBS.
Senators Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Susan Collins of Maine, both Republicans, joined Democrats in voting against the rescissions package.
The measure now returns to the House, which had earlier passed a slightly larger $9.4 billion version. The Senate trimmed the package by reinstating $400 million in AIDS funding for Africa to secure enough support for passage, Just the News reported.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune hailed the vote as a crucial first step toward fostering a new culture of fiscal responsibility in Congress, following years of roughly $2 trillion annual budget deficits.
“I appreciate all the work the administration has done in identifying wasteful spending,” Thune said. “And now it’s time for the Senate to do its part to cut some of that waste out of the budget. It’s a small but important step toward fiscal sanity that we all should be able to agree is long overdue.”
Collins, chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, said she supports the concept of rescissions in principle—especially when done through the normal appropriations process—but couldn’t back the White House’s proposal due to a lack of transparency from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB).
Collins criticized the “sparse text” provided to lawmakers, noting it offered few details and failed to clearly identify which programs would be cut to reach the original $9.4 billion goal, Fox News reported.
“For example, there are $2.5 billion in cuts to the Development Assistance account, which covers everything from basic education, to water and sanitation, to food security — but we don’t know how those programs will be affected,” she said.
Murkowski, meanwhile, called for a return to regular legislating and warned that Congress appeared to only be following directives from the Trump White House rather than exercising its own authority.
Both Murkowski and Sen. Susan Collins expressed concern over proposed cuts to public broadcasting, especially their potential impact on rural radio stations. During the vote-a-rama, they each sought to amend the bill.