U.S. District Judge Anthony Trenga, a former George W. Bush appointee sitting in Virginia, issued a temporary restraining order that stops the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) from acquiring commercial driver’s license records held by the states. The judge said the request violated privacy statutes and ignored the contractual commitments states made to keep the information private.
Background of the dispute
The Transportation Department had sought the records of roughly 17 million commercial drivers, arguing the data would aid immigration enforcement, particularly targeting illegal immigrants operating large trucks. The request was directed at the American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators (AAMVA), a nongovernmental organization that maintains the national database for the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA).
Judge Trenga emphasized that the driver records belong to the states, not the federal government. He noted that the AAMVA, while working at the behest of the FMCSA, remains a private entity, and the federal government cannot unilaterally replace it as the depository for the data.
Legal reasoning and order
In his ruling, Trenga wrote that because the federal defendants lack ownership of the data, they cannot simply commandeer the information. He also pointed out that the federal request should have been coordinated with the states first. The Transportation Department had previously threatened to withhold $10 million in federal funding to the AAMVA if the association did not comply.
The temporary restraining order bars the transfer of the commercial driver records to DHS and prevents the Transportation Department from penalizing the AAMVA for its refusal to comply. The order also nullified an earlier deadline set by the department for states to submit the data.
Reactions
California Attorney General Rob Bonta, speaking on behalf of a coalition of Democratic attorneys general, praised the decision, saying it protects Americans’ privacy rights. The Trump administration has previously raised concerns about “non‑domiciled” drivers obtaining commercial licenses, arguing that language barriers could endanger road safety. A series of fatal crashes involving such drivers has heightened the debate.
Implications
The ruling underscores the tension between federal immigration enforcement goals and state control over personal data. It also highlights the broader question of how much authority the federal government may exert over databases that are traditionally managed by state agencies.
While DHS withdrew its subpoena after the AAMVA indicated willingness to comply, several states objected, citing contractual obligations and privacy concerns. The judge’s order now leaves the matter unresolved pending further litigation.
Original reporting: WMAL (Washington DC) — read the source article.
