GARY, Ind. (NewsNation) — Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy announced Thursday a federal crackdown on states issuing commercial driver’s licenses to immigrants living in the U.S. illegally following a Department of Homeland Security operation in Indiana that resulted in 223 arrests.
The operation, conducted in northern Indiana, identified 146 truck drivers among those arrested. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said several of the arrested drivers had criminal records.
Duffy said the Transportation Department discovered multiple states have improperly issued commercial driver’s licenses designated for U.S. citizens to foreign nationals and immigrants without legal status. The licenses allow holders to operate large commercial vehicles, including fuel tankers and school buses.
The secretary threatened to withhold federal highway funding from states that fail to comply with licensing requirements. California faces losing $160 million in federal transportation funds for refusing to enforce English proficiency requirements and audit previously issued nondomiciled commercial licenses.
The Transportation Department directed states in May to enforce existing English proficiency requirements for commercial drivers. Officials also halted the issuance of nondomiciled commercial licenses nationwide and ordered states to review previously issued licenses for compliance.
Nondomiciled licenses were originally intended for U.S. citizens seeking commercial licenses in states where they don’t reside. Duffy said some states began issuing such licenses to foreign nationals, sometimes with expiration dates that extended beyond work permit expirations.
Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration Administrator Derek Barrs said Indiana conducted 191 roadside inspections over 30 days that revealed commercial license violations or English proficiency issues.
Of those, 115 involved license violations, including drivers with no license, suspended licenses or disqualifications.
Duffy said the department will target commercial driver training schools that certify unqualified students and companies that hire improperly licensed drivers.
“We will stop at nothing to make sure that our roads are safe,” Duffy said, adding that states like Oklahoma are partnering with federal authorities on enforcement operations.
When asked whether removing migrant drivers would create truck driver shortages, Duffy disputed industry claims of labor scarcity. He said unlicensed drivers willing to work for lower wages have suppressed industry pay rates.
“There are enough American truck drivers to meet the demands that we have in this country,” Duffy said.
Midwest enforcement operation targets criminal migrant truckers: Noem
The Indiana operation has been included in DHS’s ongoing operation in Chicago, dubbed “Operation Midway Blitz“, but the targeted enforcement in the Hoosier State is geared specifically at making America’s roadways safer.
Much of the operation has focused on Chicago, where Noem said Thursday that more than 3,000 migrant arrests have been made. Yet, while DHS officials, including U.S. Border Patrol Commander Gregory Bovino, have continually been met with roadblocks, Noem and Todd Lyons, the acting Immigration and Customs Enforcement director, have found an ally in Indiana Gov. Mike Braun.
On Thursday, Noem highlighted the arrest of Mexican and Colombian nationals who were issued truck-driving licenses from “sanctuary” states like California and Illinois. Noem said DHS agents and officers have been conducting targeted enforcement operations in Indiana.
Those arrested have previous convictions for cruelty toward a child, assault, driving under the influence of alcohol, drug offenses and other crimes, Noem said. But the DHS secretary said that migrants who were granted commercial operators’ licenses under the Biden administration have been responsible for crashes that have led to serious injuries and deaths.
Noem said in many instances, law enforcement officers have reported that these drivers are unable to communicate with troopers and cannot understand road signs, which “presents a danger many times over” and “endangers every single citizen that is on our roads.”
She added, “If you are here driving on our streets illegally and [on] our highways, you are endangering our citizens, and your days are numbered.”
The crackdown on immigrant truck drivers comes as federal immigration operations continue in Chicago, where DHS officials insist the focus remains on “the worst of the worst.” Lyons said Thursday when “Operation Midway Blitz” began, ICE was “out to rid the sanctuary status of Chicago.”
He said officials knew problems existed beyond the city’s limits, but said “ICE protected Chicago when local leadership failed.”
In response to a push by Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker for DHS to pause enforcement operations for Halloween, Noem said the agency would “absolutely not” pause and will continue to focus on keeping communities safe.
“The fact that Governor Pritzker is asking for that is shameful,” Noem said. “I think it’s unfortunate he doesn’t recognize how important the work that we do is to make sure we’re bringing criminals to justice.”
Yet, while citing more than 3,000 Midway Blitz arrests, Noem could not provide a specific percentage of arrests that have involved those with serious criminal convictions. Federal officials have acknowledged that U.S. citizens have been arrested and detained during enforcement operations, including during protests at an ICE processing center in suburban Broadview.
However, Noem told reporters Thursday that no American citizens have been arrested or detained during Operation Midway Blitz. She said the Trump administration is focusing on those who are in the country illegally and characterized reports that suggest otherwise as “false reporting.”
Noem said that arrests, which administration officials have characterized as “collateral” involving those without criminal charges or convictions, have led to immigration status checks. She said those found without legal immigration status are given due process and then deported.
However, as of Sept. 21, only 28% of the nearly 60,000 in federal custody have previous criminal convictions, and 25% have pending criminal charges, according to the Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse.
The two senior DHS officials’ appearance in Indiana on Thursday came two days after Bovino, the Border Patrol commander-at-large, appeared before U.S. District Judge Sara Ellis, who has expressed concerns with the use of force being utilized by federal agents.
Bovino was ordered Tuesday to meet daily with Ellis to review the daily operations of federal officers. However, on Wednesday, an Illinois appeals court issued a temporary stay on the order. Bovino told NewsNation on Wednesday evening that CBP and ICE officers have not violated a temporary restraining order that was issued by Ellis earlier this month. Bovino characterized Operation Midway Blitz as “a resounding success.”
“We’re talking all sorts of bad people and bad things off the street,” Bovino told NewsNation.
Bovino said that residents living in communities where migrants who entered the U.S. illegally are operating “have no voice” because of the presence of dangerous migrant criminals. Bovino said that his agents are being asked by local community leaders to address residents on the tactics being used in enforcement operations.
He said that residents living in these neighborhoods are asking federal agencies not to stop doing what they’re doing.
“They’re that bought-in now,” Bovino told NewsNation on Wednesday. “They see us out there, they see we’re real, they see we’re affecting a mission that no one has ever done before … we give them a voice now.”