A coordinated state and federal law enforcement operation in Texas resulted in 31 commercial truck drivers being detained for lacking legal U.S. residency. The Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) partnered with ICE, Homeland Security Investigations, and FMCSA during a surprise, daylong inspection sweep on Interstate 40 in Wheeler County on November 11.
Officials inspected 105 commercial vehicles along a major eastbound freight corridor roughly 100 miles east of Amarillo. The operation, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott said, was intended to remove unauthorized drivers and unsafe vehicles from the road.
Majority of Drivers Held California-Issued CDLs
Gov. Abbott’s office reported that most detained drivers held California commercial driver licenses—not Texas CDLs. None of the 31 detained truckers were licensed in Texas.
This detail comes at a time when California faces intense federal scrutiny. The FMCSA says the state has nearly 24,000 non-compliant non-domiciled CDL holders, many believed to lack proper documentation or verification of their legal status. California has been ordered to revoke 17,000 of those licenses and verify the remaining 7,000-plus records.
The issue is part of a broader national crackdown prompted by emergency federal rules halting the issuance of non-domiciled CDLs—rules that are currently under court review.
Texas Faces Its Own CDL Compliance Problems
Texas is also on the federal radar. An FMCSA audit released in August found that 49% of non-domiciled CDLs sampled in the state failed to meet federal regulatory standards. Texas currently has 9,600 active non-domiciled CDL and CLP holders.
FMCSA Chief Counsel Jesse Elison issued a strongly worded warning in an October 23 letter calling Texas’ compliance breakdown “unacceptable,” ordering DPS to:
- Conduct a full audit of its non-domiciled CDL program
- Correct documented licensing and permitting irregularities
- Void, rescind, and reissue any CDL or CLP not compliant at the time of issue, transfer, renewal, or upgrade
FMCSA emphasized that these steps are required for Texas to return to “substantial compliance” and maintain its role in the agency’s mission to reduce commercial vehicle crashes and fatalities.
Multi-State Crackdowns Expanding
Texas is not alone. Law enforcement agencies in Oklahoma and Indiana have recently partnered with ICE to target undocumented commercial drivers in their states.
Meanwhile, U.S. Customs and Border Protection led a similar enforcement action in New York, arresting 30 undocumented migrants with valid CDLs issued by states including:
- California
- Florida
- Illinois
- Indiana
- New Jersey
- New York
- Ohio
- Oregon
- Pennsylvania
These coordinated efforts indicate an escalating national push to verify legal residency among CDL holders, strengthen CDL program integrity, and address gaps in state licensing systems.
Source:
https://www.ttnews.com/articles/texas-immigration-sting-2025
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