More than 20,000 immigrant truck drivers will be able to keep their licenses in California, at least temporarily, despite efforts by the Trump administration and the state of California to revoke them.
That’s according to a tentative ruling Wednesday in Alameda County Superior Court.
But the decision puts the state of California in a bind.
CalMatters reports the U.S. Department of Transportation already has repeatedly pushed the California Department of Motor Vehicles to rescind these licenses after the federal government found alleged clerical issues regarding the expiration dates on their licenses.
The California DMV complied with the transportation department's demands and sent letters to more than 20,000 drivers last fall, telling them that their California licenses would expire in the next 60 days.
But a law firm and two legal advocacy groups sued on behalf of truckers. They argued that the state didn't follow the proper process for rescinding their licenses. California extended the expiration dates to March 6.
The transportation department said in January that it will withhold 160 million dollars in federal highway funds from California as punishment for extending the expiration dates.
Later this week, the judge will issue a final decision and the attorneys representing California will explain the process they will use to give the 20,000 truckers a chance to keep their licenses while also appeasing the federal government's demands.