Flawed immigrant trucker licenses could cost North Carolina $50M
North Carolina could forfeit nearly $50 million in federal transportation funding if it fails to revoke commercial driver’s licenses issued to immigrants who were not qualified to receive them, the U.S. Transportation Department said Thursday. According to Channel 9 News, the warning follows a federal audit that found widespread problems in the state’s licensing program. North Carolina is the ninth state flagged since Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy began a nationwide review last year aimed at ensuring only qualified drivers operate commercial trucks and buses. Scrutiny increased after an unauthorized immigrant driving a truck caused a fatal crash in Florida last August. Federal regulators reviewed 50 North Carolina-issued licenses and identified issues with more than half. State records show 924 such licenses remain active.
