U.S. Representative Beth Van Duyne (R-TX-24) has introduced the Protecting America’s Roads Act, a bill aimed at tightening regulations on commercial driver’s licenses (CDLs) for foreign nationals and undocumented immigrants. The move comes shortly after Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt announced the arrest of 130 undocumented commercial truck drivers.
The legislation seeks to codify recent Department of Transportation rule changes and implement stricter requirements for obtaining or maintaining a CDL if the applicant is a foreign national. Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy recently described the presence of ineligible and unqualified foreign truckers as “a national emergency requiring immediate changes to protect our roadways and the American people.”
Van Duyne stated, “It is time to end the danger posed by illegal immigrant and foreign national truck drivers who are not capable of safely operating an 18-wheel commercial vehicle or, in many cases, understanding English language warning signs and road instructions.” She added, “People in Texas, Florida, and many other states have lost their lives because we have third-world truck drivers menacing our roadways and creating deadly situations on American highways – this must end! To any state bothered by these new rules and proposed legislation, do our country a favor and stop endangering the lives of Americans with your reckless actions or suffer the consequences of having federal highway funds removed.”
The press release cited a March incident north of Austin, Texas where an Ethiopian national driving a commercial truck caused a multi-vehicle accident resulting in five deaths and eleven injuries. The driver reportedly had limited English proficiency along with previous violations related to hours of operation and hazardous driving.
Texas remains the leading state for freight trucking volume in the U.S., which increases its exposure to risks from unqualified or ineligible drivers.
The bill requires CDL applicants to prove lawful status and domicile within the United States. It mandates verification through DHS SAVE for all non-citizen applicants, limits non-citizen CDLs based on immigration status expiration dates or one year—whichever is shorter—and enforces in-person renewals or transfers. States would be required to revoke licenses when eligibility lapses; penalties would apply for non-compliance. Recognition of foreign CDLs would be discontinued unless specifically authorized by law. Agencies participating under section 287(g) would also be empowered to report unlawful CDL operators.
Beth Van Duyne has held her seat since 2020 after defeating Candace Valenzuela in that year’s general election with 48.8% of votes compared to Valenzuela’s 47.5%. In subsequent elections she won against Jan McDowell in 2022 with nearly 60% support, followed by another victory over Sam Eppler in 2024 with just over 60% of votes.
