U.S. Transportation Secretary Withholds Funds from California

WASHINGTON (TNND) — U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy announced this week that he is withholding $40 million in federal funds from California due to the state’s failure to meet requirements mandating truck drivers to be proficient in English.

“All states have complied except for California. Governor Gavin Newsom prioritizes migrants over the safety of his citizens and those across the country,” Duffy stated during an interview with Fox News.

Duffy’s announcement comes during heightened scrutiny over illegal immigration by the Trump administration, as well as following a number of recent tragic accidents. One incident this summer in Florida involved an illegal immigrant truck driver with a California commercial license, who killed three individuals while attempting to make a U-turn.

“These are the dangers that arise when drivers lack understanding of the rules and our culture, and they struggle to communicate with law enforcement in the event of a crash,” Duffy remarked.

Since June, over 6,000 truck drivers have been removed from service for not passing an English proficiency exam. Recently, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) reported the arrest of an illegal immigrant, Anmol Anmol, who was driving an 18-wheeler under a commercial driver’s license listed as “No Name Given Anmol.”

“New York state has been unlawfully issuing licenses to undocumented immigrants. Their driver’s licenses literally read ‘no name given’,” White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt informed Fox News.

In an exclusive interview with Sinclair’s WBFF, Duffy also addressed the upcoming nationwide “No Kings” protests scheduled for the weekend. He expressed concerns regarding potential involvement from Antifa and other supporters of the movement.

“I fully support free speech and protests; it’s a fundamental aspect of America. However, I am concerned about who is funding, organizing, and paying for these events,” Duffy explained.

A spokesperson for California Governor Gavin Newsom, Diana Crofts-Pelayo, responded to the funding being withheld, stating:

“The facts are clear: commercial driver license holders in California have a fatal accident rate nearly 40% lower than the national average, while Texas, which has more CDL holders, experiences a fatality rate nearly 50% higher than California’s,” Crofts-Pelayo told Fox News Digital.