‘No Licenses for Illegal Drivers or Truckers Act’ introduced in U.S. Senate
The U.S. Senate is considering a bill that would require states to verify citizenship before issuing a license to a motorist or a commercial vehicle driver.
Bill Threatens Non-Compliant States With Loss Of Federal Funding
On April 16, 2026, U.S. Senator John Barrasso (R-Wyo.) introduced the No Licenses for Illegal Drivers or Truckers Act.
The bill would require states to verify legal status before issuing a driver’s license, commercial driver’s license (CDL), or personal identification card.
States that do not comply with this requirement would be docked 10% of their federal highway funding.
Co-sponsors of the bill include U.S. Senators John Cornyn (R-Texas) and Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyo.).
“We must defund woke sanctuary states who continue to put illegal aliens in the driver’s seat and Americans in the back seat,” said Cornyn. “This legislation puts Americans first and keeps our roads safe by not only cutting federal highway funding for any state that allows illegal aliens to obtain a state-issued or commercial driver’s license but also redirecting those dollars to states like Texas that actually enforce the law.”
“Democrats have spent years putting illegal immigrants ahead of American citizens, and handing out driver’s licenses to people who broke our laws is another example. This bill puts a stop to that. States that thumb their nose at federal immigration law should lose highway funding, and those dollars should rightfully go to states that follow the law. Wyoming has always done things the right way, and it’s past time the rest of the country catches up,” said Lummis.
Wyoming Senator Points To Arrest Of Dozens Of CMV Drivers For Immigration Violations
In a news release announcing the bill, Barrasso pointed to recent efforts by Wyoming law enforcement to enforce immigration law for commercial vehicle drivers passing through the state.
“In Wyoming, local law enforcement has already encountered multiple cases of illegal immigrants operating commercial motor vehicles. Since October 1, 2025, the Laramie County Sheriff’s Office has arrested 40 individuals who were in the country illegally and driving commercial vehicles. Officers in Sweetwater County arrested 14 more. In Crook County, additional arrests have been made involving illegal immigrants holding CDLs. All were subsequently removed by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE),” the release stated.
“The Laramie County Sheriff’s Office conducted a 3-day Operation ‘Truck Around Find Out,’ which resulted in 177 traffic stops and 32 illegal immigrants being arrested. This operation highlighted the need for federal legislation to mandate states to ‘Find Out’ a person’s legal status before giving them the keys to an 80,000-pound truck, and to prevent law enforcement from having to deal with dangerous, unvetted drivers on the roadside or after a crash,” said Laramie County, Wyoming Sheriff Brian Kozak.
“A commercial license shouldn’t be a question mark. It should mean the state verified lawful presence before that driver ever entered interstate commerce. When that doesn’t happen on the front end, local law enforcement, lawful truckers, and the traveling public bear the risk on the back end, where it matters most — out on the pavement,” said Sweetwater County, Wyoming Sheriff John Grossnickle.