Chair Meng Opposes Trump Administration Effort to Weaponize DOT Against Immigrant Workers

WASHINGTON, D.C. —  Rep. Grace Meng, Chair of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus, joined the Congressional Hispanic Caucus (CHC) in filing an amicus brief in Rivera Lujan v. FMCSA opposing a Trump administration final rule that bars certain lawfully present immigrants from holding commercial driver's licenses (CDLs). 

The members argue that the rule, implemented by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), illegally expands the government's powers by directing the agency to enforce immigration priorities that Congress did not write into law.

“The Trump administration is doing everything possible to make life more difficult for hardworking, law-abiding immigrants. This rule would ruin the livelihoods of thousands of people, including an estimated 150,000 Sikh truck drivers across the United States. CAPAC stands with the Hispanic Caucus in defending immigrant communities and urges the court to reject this xenophobic and harmful rule,” said Rep. Grace Meng, Chair of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC).

“The CHC is once again stepping in to stop the Trump administration's xenophobic abuse of power. Trump and his cronies are dead-set on finding ways to destroy families, tear down the livelihood of honest workers, and to increase costs for all Americans,” said CHC Chair Rep. Adriano Espaillat. “We will be relentless in our efforts to stop the pillaging of America. We will be relentless in our support of working families -- of the hearts, bodies and minds who contribute to our collective wellbeing.”

By attempting to masquerade the arbitrary denial of CDLs as a safety measure, the Trump administration is violating the separation of powers and making our roads less safe.

Under the rule, roughly 200,000 lawfully present immigrants with valid work authorization— including about 42,000 DACA beneficiaries—would lose their CDLs based solely on their immigration status.

Notably, there are approximately 150,000 Sikh truck drivers who constitute one-fifth of the entire Sikh population in the United States. Many Sikh immigrants arrive as asylum seekers or are in the process of seeking asylum and would be directly impacted by the rule.

The rule also perpetuates the false notion that immigrants are less qualified or more dangerous behind the wheel. This narrative fuels discrimination against immigrant truck drivers, particularly Sikh drivers whose articles of faith make them more visible targets of hate and harassment.

In sum, the rule would take 200,000 properly licensed commercial drivers off the roads, leading to $3 billion in lost wages, higher transportation prices, and decreased road safety. Already-overworked truckers and bus drivers would face increased workloads and shorter rest periods.

The 25 members of Congress who signed the amicus brief stand steadfast in their defense of Congress’ authority and the FMCSA's focused role on ensuring motor vehicle safety. The signers include:

Rep. Grace Meng (NY-6), Rep. Adriano Espaillat (NY-13), Rep. Jamie Raskin (MD-8), Rep. Nanette Diaz Barragán (CA-44), Rep. Gilbert R. Cisneros Jr. (CA-31), Rep. Veronica Escobar (TX-16), Rep. Maxwell Alejandro Frost (FL-10), Rep. Jesús "Chuy" García (IL-4), Rep. Robert Garcia (CA-42), Rep. Sylvia R. Garcia (TX-29), Rep. Adelita S. Grijalva (AZ-7), Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi (IL-8), Rep. Sam Liccardo (CA-16), Rep. Analilia Mejia (NJ-11), Rep. Robert Menendez (NJ-8), Rep. Delia C. Ramirez (IL-3), Rep. Emily Randall (WA-6), Rep. Luz Rivas (CA-29), Rep. Linda T. Sánchez (CA-38), Rep. Darren Soto (FL-9), Rep. Norma J. Torres (CA-35), Rep. Ritchie Torres (NY-15), Rep. Lori Trahan (MA-3), Rep. Juan Vargas (CA-52), and Rep. Nydia M. Velázquez (NY-7).

The full brief is available HERE.

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