Thousands of immigrant truckers lose commercial licenses in Trump administration crackdown
PBS News Hour - Segments
PBS NewsHour
4.1 • 1K Ratings
🗓️ 5 May 2026
⏱️ 8 minutes
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| 0:00.0 | In March, some 200,000 immigrants began losing their commercial driver's licenses, which are |
| 0:07.0 | required to operate large vehicles like semi-trucks, buses, and tractor trailers. |
| 0:12.0 | It's part of a series of moves by the Trump administration to limit who can drive those vehicles |
| 0:17.0 | after some high-profile crashes involving foreign-born drivers. |
| 0:23.1 | Lisa Desjardin is back now with the story. |
| 0:25.4 | It's the backbone of America. |
| 0:27.6 | Everybody needs their goods. |
| 0:30.4 | For over a decade come rain or shine, |
| 0:34.9 | Minor Solarez of Portland, Oregon drove a semi-truck across the western U.S. |
| 0:38.3 | But suddenly, he has to end that career. And with with it the main source of income for his family of five. |
| 0:42.3 | When I first heard of it, my heart started racing. |
| 0:45.3 | You know, I feared for the worst as soon as I heard it, |
| 0:50.3 | and I was like, hey, I'm going to lose my license. |
| 0:52.3 | I'm not going to be able to renew. |
| 0:55.2 | In March, a Trump administration rule took effect barring some groups of immigrants with |
| 0:59.9 | temporary status, including DACA recipients like Solaris, from getting or renewing their commercial |
| 1:06.1 | driver's licenses. |
| 1:07.6 | Citing a handful of fatal crashes involving immigrant truckers, the rule also applies to refugees and asylum seekers. |
| 1:14.6 | Solaris was brought to the U.S. illegally from Guatemala when he was two years old. |
| 1:18.6 | At 14, he enrolled in DACA, which allowed him to legally work in the U.S., ultimately owning his own trucks. |
| 1:25.6 | I love the job. He's driven for 12 years, but late last month, his license expired. |
| 1:32.1 | And due to the new rule, he can't renew it. |
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