President Trump announced a new initiative aimed at cracking down on unauthorized immigrant truck drivers in the United States and plans to replace them with veterans. This statement was made during a military investment summit in Carlisle, Pa.

The president explained his administration’s intent to recruit veterans for truck driving jobs, suggesting they will be trained to take the place of drivers without legal immigration status. He argued, without evidence, that these drivers are responsible for numerous accidents.

“We are going to take our veterans; we’re going to teach them a lot about driving trucks,” Mr. Trump stated at the summit.

However, specific details about how this transition will occur were not provided.

According to Mr. Trump, any veteran having driven heavy military trucks would automatically qualify for a commercial driver’s license. This move aligns with a broader effort to limit immigrant commercial licenses, affecting even legal residents. Earlier in March, approximately 200,000 immigrant drivers authorized to live and work in the U.S. faced license revocations.

An April 2025 executive order instructed the Transportation Department to enforce an English language requirement for commercial drivers. Additionally, it called for a review of licenses held by foreign citizens employed legally in the U.S.

The President has alleged that semi-truck crashes often involve immigrant drivers, citing their inability to read road signs and alleged drug abuse. Yet, there are no comprehensive studies conducted to substantiate these claims. Immigrant drivers, like others, must have work authorization, attend driving schools, and pass tests to drive commercial trucks.