A group of Republican senators has put forth a new bill, named the Dalilah’s Law Act, with the aim of stopping illegal immigrants from acquiring or using commercial driver’s licences (CDLs). The legislation, introduced by Senators Shelley Moore Capito, John Cornyn, Ted Budd, Cynthia Lummis, and Tommy Tuberville, focuses on enhancing federal oversight and enforcing penalties related to CDL issuance and usage by undocumented immigrants.
According to Capito, the bill is designed to safeguard American families and ensure the safety of all individuals on the highways. She stressed the importance of maintaining clear and consistent standards for those permitted to drive commercial vehicles, emphasizing the significance of prioritizing the rule of law and public safety.
Cornyn highlighted the bill as a response to what he perceives as failures in border policies, expressing concern over the impact on innocent Americans like Dalilah Coleman due to what he described as Democrats’ open-border approach. He criticized the alleged operation of large commercial vehicles by undocumented drivers on the roads, emphasizing the need to address this issue.
The proposed legislation includes various measures such as introducing criminal penalties for undocumented individuals using CDLs in interstate commerce and imposing mandatory minimum sentences for accidents involving such drivers. Additionally, it suggests a potential aggravating factor for the death penalty if a crash involving an undocumented CDL holder results in a fatality.
Among other provisions, the bill proposes immigration consequences for offenders, including classification as an aggravated felon leading to mandatory detention and deportation. It also calls for CDL applicants to provide documentation confirming their eligibility for employment through systems like E-Verify.
States would be mandated to maintain verification records and share them with the Department of Transportation upon request. The bill also suggests criminal penalties for state officials who neglect to verify immigration status before issuing CDLs, with Senator Budd citing a recent incident in California as a driving force behind the legislation.
Lummis echoed concerns about public safety, emphasizing the need for every American sharing the road with an 80,000-pound commercial truck to be assured that the driver obtained the license legally. She criticized issuing licences to undocumented individuals as a breach of public trust.
