(The Center Square) – Commercial Driver’s License sold to untested, undocumented immigrants in Florida has sparked national outrage.
Now Illinois’ “non-domicile” program is in the hot seat.
In Florida, DMV workers were arrested for allegedly selling CDLs to undocumented immigrants without tests or training. Officials say the licenses were bought, not earned, putting untrained drivers on the road.
“We seized over $120,000 in illicit proceeds tied to this operation. Evidence suggests that hundreds if not more than a thousand fraudulent driver’s licenses were issued as part of this scheme,” said Bay County Sheriff Tommy Ford. “It’s been ongoing for over two years and this investigation is continuing to be ongoing and will expand statewide as we work to identify those who receive licenses illegally and hold all parties accountable.”
At a recent news conference, Florida’s Attorney General James Uthmeier said law enforcement uncovered hundreds of non-citizens illegally obtaining driver’s licenses without testing, breaking the law and putting unqualified drivers on the road, endangering public safety.
“If there’s any silver lining to this terrible discovery, it’s that law enforcement worked very well together, continued to follow the breadcrumbs, and ultimately uncovered a pretty widespread and advanced operation,” said Uthmeier. “Now that we know what happened here, there’s a good chance it could be happening in another county as well.”
Illinois state Rep. Adam Niemerg, R-Dieterich, expressed deep concern over the Florida reports and said if Illinois were giving CDLs to illegal immigrants with no training, that’s not only illegal, it’s dangerous.
“We’ve already got driver’s licenses for illegals in Illinois,” Niemerg said. “But giving them CDLs? That’s a whole other level of irresponsibility. It’s unsafe. These individuals might not know the rules of the road. Some don’t speak English. That’s a serious safety concern.”
The Illinois Secretary of State said any claims saying the state is engaging in giving CDLs to unqualified individuals is “ridiculous and completely false.”
“They’re dangerous and specifically designed to sow division and fear,” said spokesman Max Walczyk. “Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration regulations clearly authorize non-domiciled CDLs for individuals who are not U.S. citizens or lawful permanent residents (LPRs) but are authorized – under federal law – to reside in the U.S., as evidenced by immigration documents.”
According to the office, the Illinois Secretary of State’s office requires every first-time CDL applicant to provide proof of citizenship or lawful status. If the applicant is not a U.S. citizen or an LPR, then the CDL is marked as non-domiciled, in accordance with the federal regulations.
“In terms of training and vetting, all first-time CDL applicants, as well as applicants upgrading their CDL or adding an endorsement, are required to complete entry-level driver training (ELDT), which is also a federal requirement,” said Walczyk. “The Illinois Secretary of State’s office will not issue a CDL unless the applicant has completed ELDT and the ELDT provider has uploaded proof of the completion of the training per federal law.”
Niemerg warned that weak checks and lenient immigration policies could enable Florida-style fraud.
“I really hope one of the requirements is understanding English,” said Niemerg. “That’s incredibly important, especially since these drivers will be on our interstates operating massive vehicles. If they can’t read the road signs, that’s a serious safety concern.”
