The Trump administration is threatening to withhold $75 million in federal funds from Pennsylvania after a terror suspect received a commercial driver’s license (CDL) under the state’s current procedures. The Department of Transportation (DOT), led by Secretary Sean Duffy, accused Pennsylvania of issuing licenses to non-citizens without properly verifying lawful presence.
According to a letter from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), Pennsylvania’s Department of Transportation (PennDOT) violated federal regulations by granting CDLs to individuals whose legal immigration status had either expired or could not be verified. One of the license recipients is reportedly linked to a terrorist organization, sparking urgent federal action.
The FMCSA warned that unless Pennsylvania halts all CDL activity for non-domiciled individuals and conducts a full audit, the state will lose access to tens of millions in federal highway and safety funding. The agency demanded that Pennsylvania rescind improperly issued licenses and implement new compliance measures immediately.
Governor Josh Shapiro defended the state’s process, stating that PennDOT used the federal SAVE (Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements) database to validate applicants. He argued that if a terror suspect was granted a license, the fault lies with the federal system itself, not state-level procedures.
Secretary Duffy rejected that defense, stating that Pennsylvania failed to fulfill its responsibility to ensure national security through strict licensing controls. He emphasized that no state should allow foreign nationals—especially those with expired or unverifiable status—to obtain credentials that give them access to critical transportation infrastructure.
The case has triggered wider scrutiny of how states handle CDL issuance to non-citizens and whether similar vulnerabilities exist elsewhere. The Trump administration’s move signals a zero-tolerance stance on state compliance failures, especially where public safety and national security are at risk.
