CDL Crackdown Leads to Terrorist Arrest

Yesterday, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) arrested an Uzbekistan terrorist – also an illegal migrant the Biden Administration had previously detained and released. DHS announced the arrest of Akhror Bozorov, a commercial truck driver in Pennsylvania, with links to a terrorist organization. While it’s a relief to know this man is off the roads, how was this migrant truck driver able to secure a commercial driver’s license (CDL) in the first place without setting off some alarms?

As reported in the Department of Homeland Security’s official press release announcing the arrest:

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) today announced U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) arrested 31-year-old Akhror Bozorov, a criminal illegal alien from Uzbekistan wanted in his origin country for belonging to a terrorist organization. 

Uzbekistan authorities issued an arrest warrant for Bozorov in 2022 for being a member of a terrorist organization. He is accused of distributing terrorist propaganda calling for jihad online and recruiting terrorists to join the jihad movement.

ICE arrested him in Kansas on November 9, while he was working as a commercial truck driver. Governor Josh Shapiro’s Pennsylvania issued him a commercial driver's license (CDL). The Biden administration granted him work authorization in January 2024.

“Not only was Akhror Bozorov—a wanted terrorist—RELEASED into the country by the Biden administration, but he was also given a commercial driver’s license by Governor Shapiro’s Pennsylvania. This should go without saying, but terrorist illegal aliens should not be operating 18-wheelers on America’s highways,” said Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin. “Biden and Mayorkas allowed countless terrorists to come into our country. President Trump and Secretary Noem unleashed ICE to target these national security threats.”

And lest any on the Left feel inspired to take to the news cameras with teary-eyed tales of the Trump Administration arresting another “Maryland dad,” rest assured, this was a bad guy who benefited from Biden’s “catch and release” action plan. He had a history of recruiting violent criminals who wanted to harm Americans.

However, this is not simply a story about one person slipping through the cracks. States and federal agencies are now confronting a broader, structural problem involving how CDLs are issued, verified, and regulated.

California has announced it now has to cancel roughly 17,000 CDLs that were granted to individuals who no longer have authorized work status. Think about what a massive move that is and the impact it will have on the state’s infrastructure.

But unfortunately, at the same time, truck drivers around the country, many of whom called in to Sekulow today with their personal experiences, are raising concerns about so-called “CDL mills” and inconsistent state testing standards across the country that allow under-trained or unqualified drivers on the road.

When you’re talking about operating a vehicle that can weigh up to 80,000 pounds, inadequate training or poor vetting isn’t a minor issue – in the wrong hands it’s a rolling weapon with a massive payload. And not too many cars on the highway can withstand that. So, bureaucratic headache or not, vetting these drivers properly is the only thing to do.

Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy has pushed for new rules to tighten CDL eligibility and increase safety requirements, including in California, but a federal appeals court has temporarily blocked those changes, arguing that the Administration didn’t sufficiently justify them. Never mind that just a few months ago, an illegal migrant with a bogus CDL acquired in California was arrested and charged with multiple counts of vehicular manslaughter after he killed three innocent people while operating a semi in Florida.

Meanwhile, the trucking industry continues to deal with labor shortages and heavy demand, creating incentives for states or private training programs to cut corners. And often while pushing their drivers to do more for less. It’s not just a cliché to say that American truck drivers keep this country running – and they deserve a system that protects the integrity of their profession and the safety of everyone on the road.

The arrest in Kansas is a reminder that failures at the border don’t stay at the border. They ripple outward into critical sectors like transportation, where a single oversight can have catastrophic consequences. We are thankful that the Trump Administration has now stepped in to clean up another dangerous mess left behind by former President Biden.

Today’s Sekulow broadcast included more discussion of the arrest of this foreign national with ties to terror and the steps the Trump Administration is taking to stop fraudulent CDLs from winding up in the hands of dangerous illegal drivers. ACLJ Senior Counsel CeCe Heil also joined us with an update on our latest legal battle to defend your constitutionally protected right to worship and pray and share the Gospel – including feeding the hungry. The war on Christians in this country is real, and the ACLJ is fighting back on the front lines.

Watch the full broadcast below: