Florida files unprecedented Supreme Court lawsuit claiming California and Washington violated federal law by issuing commercial licenses to illegal immigrants, leading to deadly crashes.
Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier announced late Thursday that the state has filed a lawsuit directly with the U.S. Supreme Court against California and Washington, alleging the two “sanctuary” states illegally issued commercial driver’s licenses (CDLs) to illegal immigrants in defiance of federal safety and immigration standards.
The bill of complaint, filed under the Court’s original jurisdiction, claims that California and Washington’s licensing practices have “created a class of dangerous and unqualified commercial drivers” who endanger lives nationwide.
Uthmeier’s office pointed to a recent fatal crash in Florida involving an illegal immigrant “licensed by both Washington and California,” who allegedly could not read or speak English—a violation of federal trucking law that requires English-language proficiency for CDL holders.
“California’s and Washington’s open defiance of federal immigration laws is well-documented,” the complaint states.
“They authorize illegal immigrants without proper training or the ability to read road signs to drive commercial motor vehicles.” Florida argues that this conduct violates the Commercial Motor Vehicle Safety Act of 1986, and asks the Court to declare the states’ “sanctuary” laws preempted by federal statute.
Uthmeier, appearing on Hannity Thursday night, called the case a “defense of national safety and sovereignty,” accusing Gov. Gavin Newsom and Gov. Jay Inslee of “knowingly endangering Floridians by putting unqualified, unlawful drivers on America’s highways.”
“When California and Washington hand out CDLs to illegal immigrants who can’t read road signs, they’re not just violating the law — they’re risking American lives,” Uthmeier said.
The complaint seeks injunctions ordering both states to stop issuing commercial licenses to noncitizens lacking lawful status and to enforce federal English-language and safety testing rules. Florida also requests reimbursement for increased inspection and enforcement costs at state checkpoints.
