Tuesday, March 17,
2026 - Thousands of Kenyans living in the United States are facing fresh
uncertainty after the Trump administration cancelled more than 200,000
licences belonging to immigrant truck drivers.
The directive, which took effect on March 16th,
was issued through the U.S. Department of Transportation and blocks noncitizens
from obtaining or renewing commercial driver’s licences.
Current licences will remain valid only until they expire.
The sweeping move affects asylum seekers, refugees and DACA recipients,
groups that have long formed part of the backbone of America’s trucking
industry.
In December, officials also revoked certification for nearly
3,000 driver training centres, citing failure to meet federal standards.
Transportation Secretary, Sean P. Duffy, defended the
crackdown, claiming “dangerous foreign drivers” had exploited loopholes in the
licensing system.
He argued that noncitizens cannot always be fully vetted for
overseas driving histories.
The administration has also tightened enforcement of
English-language requirements for truckers.
For the Kenyan diaspora - estimated at 150,000
to 164,000 people in the U.S - the directive has sparked
anxiety, especially for those tied to the transport sector.
Immigrants make up 18-19% of
U.S truck drivers, a figure higher than their overall share of
the workforce at 17%.
Kenyans are part of this mix, contributing not only to the
industry but also to remittances back home.
The Kenyan DAILY POST
0 Comments