INDIANAPOLIS (Diya TV) — Indiana officials say state troopers stopped nearly 300 undocumented commercial drivers during a recent crackdown on truck traffic and highway enforcement, raising new legal and political questions about immigration enforcement and commercial drivers’ licenses.
A top aide to Gov. Mike Braun said the state identified at least 283 undocumented truck drivers at weigh stations across Indiana during the past 90 days. The announcement comes as Republican-led states increase scrutiny of immigration enforcement and commercial transportation safety. Tony Ferraro, an aide to Braun and a member of the Northwestern Indiana Regional Planning Commission, shared the figures during a commission meeting on Thursday. According to the Chicago Tribune, Ferraro said state authorities removed more than three undocumented commercial drivers per day from trucks operating in Indiana.
“That’s over three a day that we pulled out of trucks,” Ferraro said during the meeting.
Indiana officials have not released detailed information about the drivers, including their nationalities, employment status, or whether they now face criminal charges or deportation proceedings. State officials also have not clarified whether the drivers were transferred to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, commonly known as ICE.
Ferraro said many of the drivers held commercial driver’s licenses, or CDLs, issued by states such as California and New York. Those states previously allowed some non-citizens to obtain commercial licenses if they met state requirements.
Indiana law does not allow undocumented immigrants to obtain driver’s licenses. State officials say the crackdown focuses on roadway safety and compliance with federal employment rules for commercial drivers. Federal regulations require CDL holders to have authorization to work in the United States. However, legal experts say the issue remains complicated because some states legally issued commercial licenses to non-citizens under previous rules.
That legal gray area may create challenges for Indiana if drivers argue they legally obtained their licenses in another state before federal rules changed. In February, New York officials announced the state would stop issuing commercial driver’s licenses to non-citizens after the Trump administration tightened federal restrictions related to commercial driving and work authorization.
Braun has made public safety and immigration enforcement central parts of his administration’s agenda. Ferraro said the governor also increased speed enforcement efforts on Indiana highways and interstate routes. Ferraro described the current police presence on major roadways as stronger than anything he has seen in more than a decade living in northwest Indiana.
He said state troopers now patrol highways more aggressively to reduce speeding and identify possible criminal activity, including immigration violations involving commercial truck drivers. The enforcement effort includes inspections at weigh stations, where officers check commercial vehicles for safety violations, paperwork problems, and driver credentials.
Supporters of the crackdown argue that commercial truck drivers should meet strict federal standards because they operate large vehicles that can pose serious safety risks on crowded highways. Critics, however, warn that immigration-related enforcement could create confusion for trucking companies and drivers who legally obtained CDLs in states with different licensing policies.
Indiana officials have not identified the exact laws the drivers allegedly violated. Authorities also have not explained whether the cases involve state traffic offenses, federal immigration violations, or employment-related issues. Legal analysts say possessing a CDL from another state does not automatically prove a driver lacks legal authority to operate a commercial vehicle. Some drivers may have received licenses legally under rules in effect at the time.
Transportation and immigration lawyers say courts may eventually need to determine whether states like Indiana can penalize drivers who hold valid out-of-state commercial licenses issued under earlier policies.
The trucking industry already faces ongoing driver shortages across the United States. Some industry groups worry that stricter immigration enforcement could worsen labor shortages and disrupt supply chains. Still, Braun and other Republican leaders argue that stronger enforcement protects public safety and ensures that commercial drivers follow federal employment laws.
