California motor vehicle officials have extended commercial driver’s licenses for approximately 17,000 immigrant truckers at risk of losing work next week, following a federal review that raised questions about how the state handled expiration dates for non-citizen drivers.
The California Department of Motor Vehicles announced Tuesday that it would delay the cancellation of those licenses until March 6 while the state works to resolve compliance concerns raised by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration.
The 60-day reprieve follows a class-action lawsuit filed against the state by five drivers and several civil rights groups, including the Asian Law Caucus, the Sikh Coalition and the Jakara Movement. The lawsuit in Alameda Superior Court argues that the DMV acted under pressure from the U.S. Department of Transportation agency, breaking state law by failing to allow drivers to renew or correct their licenses…