The Department of Transportation is putting teeth behind President Donald Trump’s order to restore English-language enforcement for commercial drivers. At a press conference, Secretary Sean Duffy said his agency will begin withholding Motor Carrier Safety Assistance Program (MCSAP) funds from states that refuse to place non–English-proficient CDL holders out of service, as federal rules require. He named three holdouts—California, Washington, and New Mexico—and gave them 30 days to comply. The potential hit is significant: California receives roughly $30 million a year through MCSAP, Washington $10 million, and New Mexico $7 million.

Duffy’s move reverses a 2016 Obama-era memorandum from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration that told states not to sideline drivers over English proficiency. In April, Trump scrapped that guidance and directed agencies to reimpose the federal standard—a step the DOT says is necessary after a rise in fatal semi-truck crashes. “States don’t get to pick and choose which federal safety rules to follow,” Duffy said. “When states fail to enforce the law, they put the driving public in danger. Under President Trump’s leadership, we’re closing safety gaps, holding states accountable, and making sure every commercial driver on the road is qualified to operate a 40-ton vehicle.”

California officials have openly defied the new directive. In July, the California Highway Patrol told industry outlet Overdrive it would not place drivers out of service for English-language violations because the requirement is “not part of California law.” That stance goes beyond a policy quibble; it’s a jurisdictional dare aimed at Washington, daring DOT to use the only leverage that matters—money. Duffy just called their bluff.

The political crossfire intensified after a horrific crash in Florida involving Harjinder Singh, an Indian national who obtained his CDL in California. Authorities say Singh’s truck crushed a minivan after an illegal U-turn, killing three. Rather than acknowledge Sacramento’s role in licensing standards, a spokesperson for Gov. Gavin Newsom tried to pin the tragedy on the Trump administration, claiming the federal government greenlit Singh’s work permit. The Department of Homeland Security responded with receipts: Singh’s authorization was rejected in September 2020 under Trump and later approved in June 2021 under Biden. As DHS spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin noted, commercial licenses are issued by states—California included. Newsom’s office fired back on social media anyway, insisting the feds “failed to revoke” authorization. None of that changes the basic facts: California issued the CDL, and California refuses to enforce the English rule.

Washington and New Mexico have been quieter, but DOT says both states are failing to treat English-language proficiency as an out-of-service condition, contrary to federal standards. The agency’s 30-day clock now puts all three on notice: enforce the rule or lose the safety grants that fund roadside inspections, compliance reviews, and joint operations with federal officers.

Critics will claim the policy is xenophobic. It isn’t. It’s common sense. Interstate trucking requires drivers to read road signs, understand weight limits and hazardous materials placards, follow written directives during inspections and emergencies, and communicate clearly with law enforcement and dispatch. Those aren’t cultural preferences; they’re baseline safety functions in a job where small misunderstandings can turn deadly in seconds. Every American motorist, family in a minivan, and state trooper on the shoulder has skin in this game.

The enforcement push also dovetails with a broader federal crackdown. Florida has teamed up with ICE to root out illegal-alien truckers following the deadly crash, and DOT’s move closes the loop by insisting states uphold the same standards at the roadside that the federal government relies on in its own rulebook. One system, one set of rules—applied equally. If a state wants federal safety dollars, it has to enforce federal safety law.

The bottom line is straightforward. The federal government sets the floor for highway safety, and states that cash federal checks don’t get to duck the rules they find inconvenient. If California, Washington, and New Mexico want to keep MCSAP funds flowing, they can do so tomorrow—by instructing their troopers to treat English proficiency like the out-of-service violation that it is. If they refuse, they’ll be telling their own taxpayers that ideology matters more than safety—and more than funding that keeps dangerous rigs off the road.