Supreme Court Denies Florida Bid Over Immigrant Truck Licenses

The Supreme Court on Tuesday refused Florida's bid to sue California and Washington over their issuance of commercial driver's licenses to people not authorized to be in the United States, with Justices Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito dissenting.

The dispute stems from an August 2025 Florida crash that killed three people after driver Harjinder Singh, who obtained a California CDL and had earlier been granted one by Washington, allegedly made an illegal U-turn.

Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier accused California and Washington of defying federal law by licensing nondomiciled drivers without English proficiency, while California Attorney General Rob Bonta said the DMV verifies legal presence through the SAVE database.

The Transportation Department pressured California to cancel 20,000 nondomiciled licenses and announced it would withhold $73 million from New York, and federal rules are shaping immigrant eligibility for commercial driver's licenses.

Florida sought a court order barring states from issuing CDLs to noncitizens and non-lawful permanent residents, and the Supreme Court's refusal leaves administrative actions and litigation as the next steps.