550 truck drivers cited for English Language Proficiency violations in Illinois so far this year

550 truck drivers have been cited for English Language Proficiency violations in Illinois for far in 2025. 

As of November 22nd, about 550 truck drivers have been cited for ELP violations in Illinois for 2025 – about the same numbers of drivers that were cited for not understanding English in all of 2024. In 2023, only about 385 truck drivers were cited for the same violations. According to The Center Square, 18% of the ELP violations issued in 2025 were for drivers holding an Illinois-issued CDL. 

“Every ISP officer conducting a commercial motor vehicle inspection initiates the inspection in English. If there is an indication the driver may not understand the inspector’s instructions, the inspector then conducts an English Language Proficiency (ELP) assessment,”  an Illinois State Police spokesperson said. “The vast majority of citations are given to out-of-state CDL holders.”

“So we need to solve the problem in the state of Illinois, the federal government, other states need to solve the problem within their states,” State Rep. Adam Niemerg said. “But it really does scare me.”

Currently, Illinois issues standard licenses to non-citizens, but Niemerg has filed legislation that would require anyone seeking a standard driver’s license to be a US citizen. The standard Illinois driver’s license is not a federally recognized REAL ID and is not sufficient for proving citizenship, boarding an airplane, or entering certain federal buildings. 

“So we really have a situation where when law enforcement pulls over an illegal immigrant, that illegal immigrant cannot speak English, law enforcement cannot detain that individual, law enforcement cannot ask the immigration status of that individual,” he said. 

The ISP denied reporters’ requests to ride-along for ELP enforcement. 

“Also very scary that they’re willing just to supply you that information and not actually allow you, as a journalist, to go on a ride along to figure out what’s happening here in the state of Illinois, because the ISP works directly for Gov. J.B. Pritzker,” Niemerg said. “Maybe there’s something to hide there that they don’t want you to see.”