President Trump announced a new initiative to address the presence of unauthorized immigrant truck drivers in the United States. During a military investment summit in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, he stated the intention to replace these drivers with veterans. He claimed without evidence that drivers lacking legal immigration status cause numerous accidents.
Trump emphasized, “We are going to take our veterans; we’re going to teach them a lot about driving trucks,” suggesting a focus on transitioning military service members into civilian driving roles. He also mentioned that Americans with military experience driving heavy trucks would be eligible for a commercial driver’s license. However, he did not provide specific details on how this plan would be implemented.
This declaration aligns with broader administration efforts to limit commercial licenses for immigrants, including those who are legal residents. In March, approximately 200,000 immigrant drivers lost their licenses despite having authorization to live and work in the U.S.
An executive order from April 2025 instructed the Transportation Department to enforce an English language requirement for commercial drivers. Additionally, it called for a review of licenses held by foreign citizens working in the country.
The president linked semi-truck crashes to immigrant drivers, but no comprehensive studies have substantiated these claims. He asserted that immigrant drivers struggle with reading road signs and drug abuse. Nonetheless, foreign nationals must possess work authorization and complete the same training and licensing process as other commercial drivers, including attending driving schools and passing necessary tests.