A coalition of 22 state attorneys general has filed lawsuits to block the Trump administration from accessing a database of about 17 million commercial driver license records, arguing the federal demand exceeds authority and threatens privacy.

FMCSA pressured the American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators to disclose five years of CDLIS data and threatened over $10 million in federal funding if AAMVA did not comply; DHS later issued a subpoena for the same data.

CDLIS, created by Congress in 1986 and operated by AAMVA under DOT contract since 1988, aggregates driver information including name, date of birth, Social Security number, license number, and state of record.

Supporters argue that safety concerns with non-domiciled drivers justify broader data access to verify qualifications and legality, while critics warn it disproportionately affects immigrant workers and could shrink the trucking workforce.

Proponents view CDL data access as a safety measure, whereas opponents cite privacy concerns and potential negative impacts on labor supply in trucking.

New Jersey’s ongoing voter-registration controversy, including noncitizen registration and potential ballot activity, has drawn federal scrutiny of New Jersey’s voter rolls and MVC procedures.

The administration casts the crackdown as part of a broader immigration-enforcement push, with similar data requests for voter rolls and social program eligibility contested in court; critics call it an immigration raid in disguise.

Maryland Attorney General framed the action as part of a pattern of state data sharing with immigration enforcement, referencing prior efforts to turn over state data.

A potential preliminary injunction hearing could determine whether the data restrictions stay in place pending litigation.

A judge set a hearing to decide if the subpoena should be invalidated, with new subpoenas signaling an investigation into CDL schools’ practices and possible immigration enforcement.

A separate DOJ/administration effort to crack down on language and licensing issues at CDL schools is cited by states as further evidence of overreach and potential licensing integrity disruption.

Delaware’s order bars inclusion of its CDLIS data in the federal transfer but does not affect Delaware licenses or ongoing investigations; broader implications remain to be decided.