HARRISBURG – The PA Senate Transportation Committee held a public hearing to examine commercial vehicle safety and commercial driver’s licenses following recent claims of CDLs and REAL IDs being issued to illegal immigrants. The hearing was held to get to the root cause of the issue and develop policy changes to prevent it from happening in the future. Unlike other states, PA has long-standing laws banning driver’s licenses, both regular and commercial, for anyone who is unlawfully present in the state. Last month, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrested 31-year-old Akhror Bozorov, an illegal immigrant from Uzbekistan wanted for belonging to a terrorist organization. He possessed a PA CDL license with a REAL ID indication in July. The hearing included testimony from driving advocates, along with PennDOT officials and the State Police. Rebecca Oyler, President/CEO of the PA Motor Truck Association, said she appreciated the opportunity to participate in a constructive conversation about the risks posed by unqualified CDL drivers on our roads. She added the hearing allowed us to walk through the real challenges the industry is facing and to discuss achievable ways to close gaps in CDL licensing and education at both the state and federal levels.
