An Uncertain Road: The Trump Administration’s Pause on New Visas for Commercial Truck Drivers
Amundsen Davis
September 24, 2025
On August 22, 2025, Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced the federal government will pause issuing new visas for foreigners seeking to be commercial truck drivers.
On X, Rubio said: “[T]he increasing number of foreign drivers operating large tractor-trailer trucks on U.S. roads is endangering American lives and undercutting the livelihoods of American truckers.”
The announcement came after a fatal accident involving an alleged undocumented immigrant who reportedly made an illegal U-turn with a commercial vehicle. According to reports, the driver had obtained his commercial driver’s license (CDL) in California. Rubio did not specify how long the pause would last, though visa allocations are traditionally tied to the federal fiscal year, which ends on September 30, 2025.
