Immigrant truck drivers file class-action lawsuit against California for discrimination

CALIFORNIA – The Sikh Coalition and co-counsel filed a lawsuit on December 22 against the California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV).

The suit disputes the DMV’s cancellation of 20,000 non-domiciled CDLs due to administrative errors.

Earlier reporting by KQED said California had planned to reissue immigrant truckers’ licenses after revoking them due to administrative errors.

However, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) refused to authorize the reissuance.

The agency said California must first come into full compliance with longstanding federal requirements governing how non-domiciled commercial driver’s licenses (CDLs) are issued and renewed.

The class-action suit represents five CDL holders and the Jakara Movement, challenging the deprivation of their rights and livelihoods.

DMV has issued licenses inconsistent with regulations

According to the lawsuit, on November 6, 2025, the DMV notified 17,299 immigrant drivers in California that it would cancel their non-domiciled CDL on January 5, 2026, due to an error with the expiration date on their licenses.

Plaintiffs say DMV subsequently notified an additional 2,700 immigrant drivers that their license would be canceled in mid-February.

DMV regulations require that a CDL issued to an immigrant expire on or before the expiration of the driver’s work authorization or legal presence documents.

They argue that for the last several years, however, the DMV has issued licenses inconsistent with this regulation and has purportedly issued non-compliant CDLs to approximately 20,000 immigrant drivers.

Discriminated against based on immigration status

The suit alleges the DMV is failing to follow California law by not canceling or correcting licenses with incorrect expiration dates.

Instead, the DMV has told applicants it is not processing, issuing, renewing, or amending any nonresident CDLs, preventing individuals from immediately reapplying. Its “notice of cancellation” effectively informs drivers that their licenses will be suspended indefinitely.

“The Vehicle Code sets out basic due process protections before the DMV takes away a driver’s license temporarily or permanently,” the court document states.

The plaintiffs argue that by removing these drivers from the workforce without offering any remedy, the DMV is discriminating against them based on their immigration status.

They seek a court order to stop the CDL cancellations, correct affected licenses, and provide relief to impacted drivers.