US Truck Drivers Challenge Mass License Cancellation

On 23 Dec, the Asian Law Caucus, Sikh Coalition, and Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP filed a class-action lawsuit against the State of California challenging the unlawful cancellation of 20K Commercial Driver’s Licenses (CDLs) issued to drivers in the US. The lawsuit seeks to halt the California Department of Motor Vehicles’ (DMV) cancellation of commercial licenses that would result in mass work stoppages beginning 5 Jan 2026. Filed in the Superior Court of California, County of Alameda, this lawsuit is brought on behalf of the Jakara Movement and five commercial drivers who have been deprived of their rights and livelihoods. The lawsuit follows 60-day cancellation notices sent by the DMV in November and December to drivers whose CDLs were flagged due to alleged mismatched expiration dates between state driver’s licenses and federal work authorization records. Legal director of the Sikh Coalition, Munmeeth Kaur said, 'The clerical errors threatening CDL drivers' livelihoods are of the CA-DMV’s own making. If the court does not issue a stay, we will see a devastating wave of unemployment that harms individual families, as well as the destabilization of supply chains on which we all rely. These drivers have spent years anchoring their lives to these careers, only to now face potential economic ruin through no fault of their own.' Senior staff attorney at Asian Law Caucus, Katherine Zhao said, 'Our state has a clear moral obligation and legal duty to protect workers who have done everything right. At a moment when families should be spending time with loved ones, these workers are instead confronting financial devastation and the loss of livelihoods they have spent years building.' The California DMV said it doesn’t comment on pending litigation. Meanwhile, the Trump administration is also tightening enforcement of commercial driver training standards, which could see almost half of US trucking schools decertified but is unlikely to disrupt the trucking industry. Concurrently, in Pakistan, the Panjab government has given a helmet exemption for Sikh bikers. Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz made the announcement while addressing the Sikh community (earlier coverage).