Path Forward Secured in California CDL Crisis
Fresno, California | December 17, 2025
Following UNITED SIKHS’ demand letter to California DMV General Counsel setting forth the names and circumstances of tens of CDL holders and their families including citizens, the elderly, and very young children, the DMV agreed not to act on the CDL cancellations. The UNITED SIKHS letter outlined seven legal reasons why the DMV’s actions harm communities and are ultra vires and why courts’ intervention could be necessary.
“This is a positive move relating to the January 5, 2026 cancellation deadline, which threatened to destabilize the trucking industry and families in California for now but it’s not the end. “It’s unclear, for example, whether the DMV will return the licenses they have already confiscated,” stated Wanda Sanchez Day, Chief Legal Officer of UNITED SIKHS. “It’s unknown whether the licenses that have the wrong expiration dates, through no fault of the CDL holders, will be reissued without the need to go through the long reapplication process. There’s also the DC Appellate Court’s decision still pending.”
UNITED SIKHS is a national human and civil rights organization that has been at the forefront of this issue since the CDL crisis erupted following a Florida accident. “That tragedy spurred national civil rights concerns because legal process was jeopardize in favor of justifying federal and state government actions around immigration and CDL matters in a way that ignores basic and good government functions, increasing rather than diffusing conflict and presenting misleading narratives to pit our communities against our most vulnerable members,” stated Gurvinder Singh, a civil rights advocate for UNITED SIKHS.
UNITED SIKHS’ advocacy team is actively present in Texas, New York, and California, meeting with communities and providing direct support. “We are on the ground doing community lawyering and advocacy led by our legal team so that we know, at the root, what our communities are experiencing,” said Ms. Wanda Sanchez Day. “We are living these desperate times with our communities on a daily basis, that is why we urge the community to contact us directly on our UMEED Helpline(1-855-US-UMEED).” stated Bhupinder Kaur who manages the UMEED helpline.
“Our volunteers are in the community every day,” added Bhupinder Kaur. “In California, we met with truck drivers and trucking industry entrepreneurs who drove for hours to meet us because this issue impacts all their lives. We’re partnering with our people so they feel comforted, protected, and empowered, as it should be.”
Issue Overview
UNITED SIKHS has led advocacy efforts to protect drivers from discriminatory CDL cancellations.
In November, 2025, the DMV issued notices that thousands of non‑domiciled CDL holders would lose their licenses on January 5, 2026, citing, among other reasons, administrative, clerical errors. This sweeping action to cancel these licenses without the due process required by California laws disproportionately impacts Sikh, Punjabi, Latino, and other immigrant drivers essential to California’s freight economy.
UNITED SIKHS condemned the move and mobilized advocacy and resources to challenge the policy.
On December 6, 2025, UNITED SIKHS held one of several ongoing truck drivers’ workshops in Fresno, California, providing legal guidance, community support, and a platform for drivers to voice concerns. Public condemnations of the CDL cancellations and coalition engagement amplified the issue, ensuring policymakers and media recognized the devastating economic and civil rights consequences.
From Fresno workshops to demand letters to the DMV’s General Counsel and direct appeals to Governor Newsom, UNITED SIKHS acted swiftly to protect livelihoods. Working alongside NGOs, and inspired by the resilience of truck drivers themselves, this collective effort secured some provisional relief.
California’s immigrant truckers are the backbone of our supply chain. Targeting them with mass cancellations was unjust, and destabilizing. We remain vigilant to ensure that drivers are always treated with dignity and fairness.
UNITED SIKHS urges policymakers to establish clear and fair CDL legal processes and to safeguard immigrant drivers, who are eligible under current state and federal law, from shifting policy practices that harm not safeguard our trucking industry and workplaces. UNITED SIKHS will continue monitoring and stand ready to defend truck drivers’ and trucking industry leaders’ rights through legal intervention, advocacy, and community mobilization.
About UNITED SIKHS
UNITED SIKHS is an international, non-profit humanitarian organization affiliated with the U.N., committed to empowering disadvantaged and minority communities across the globe. Its mission is to provide support and resources to those in need, advocating for equality, justice, and human rights. Through various humanitarian projects and advocacy efforts, UNITED SIKHS works to uplift vulnerable communities, aiming to make a lasting positive impact on the world.
For media inquiries or to support UNITED SIKHS’ legal advocacy efforts, please contact:
Gurleen Kaur
Director of Media and Public Relations
📧 gurleen.kaur@unitedsikhs.org | media@unitedsikhs.org
To contribute to our legal advocacy and humanitarian work, please visit: 🌐 www.unitedsikhs.org/donate
