Court Blocks Federal Demand for CDL Holders' Private Data Nationwide

Federal Court Blocks Government's Request for CDL Holders' Data

WASHINGTON, DC— In a significant development, the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia has halted the federal government's demand to access private data of commercial driver's license (CDL) holders across all states. This decision came in the case of State of Illinois et al., Plaintiffs, v. U.S. Department of Transportation.

This ruling has been welcomed by AFT President Randi Weingarten, who stated, “No one’s private information should be seized and weaponized as part of this administration’s war on hard working immigrants. Our members — school bus drivers, maintenance drivers, inspectors — handed over their private information to do their jobs, not to be tracked by the federal government.”

Weingarten emphasized the significance of this legal decision as a vital measure in safeguarding the privacy of CDL drivers nationwide, marking it as a critical response to what she describes as the Trump administration's pattern of "illegal overreach." Previously, only some states were protected by a court ruling, but the intervention by AFT has resulted in a nationwide block of the federal data demand as the case progresses.

The administration's interest in this data, according to Weingarten, stems from the Department of Homeland Security's previous attempts to subpoena the same records for immigration enforcement purposes. She urged the administration to prioritize addressing systemic immigration issues by creating pathways to residency and citizenship, instead of utilizing personal data for detaining individuals who are striving for better opportunities for themselves and their families.

AFT's Role and Representation

The American Federation of Teachers (AFT) represents 1.875 million members, including pre-K through 12th-grade teachers, paraprofessionals, and other school-related personnel. The organization also includes higher education faculty and professional staff, federal, state, and local government employees, nurses and healthcare workers, and early childhood educators.

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