The proposed federal bill aims to bar undocumented immigrants from obtaining commercial driver’s licenses, but opponents note that several deadly crashes in New Jersey involved drivers with standard licenses.
Trenton, N.J. – The White House is urging Congress to pass Dalilah’s Law, a federal proposal designed to prohibit undocumented immigrants from obtaining or holding commercial driver’s licenses (CDLs). Supporters say the measure will improve road safety, but some say it is not enough and argue it would do little to prevent recent tragedies — including the deadly 2025 crash in Lakewood — because many high-profile incidents involved migrants driving standard vehicles, not commercial trucks.
Key Points
- Dalilah’s Law would bar states from issuing CDLs to undocumented immigrants and revoke existing ones.
- The bill does not address standard driver’s licenses, which undocumented immigrants can legally obtain in some states, including New Jersey.
- The 2025 Lakewood crash that killed a mother and daughter involved a driver without a commercial license.
Trump administration’s “Dalilah’s Law” proposal
Introduced in February by President Donald Trump, Dalilah’s Law is named after five-year-old Dalilah Coleman, who was seriously injured in a 2024 California crash involving a commercial truck driver later identified as an undocumented immigrant. The proposed legislation would restrict CDLs to U.S. citizens, lawful permanent residents, and certain visa holders.
It would also revoke any commercial licenses previously issued to undocumented drivers and penalize states that fail to comply by withholding federal transportation funds. The bill additionally requires all CDL applicants to complete written and road tests in English.
“The illegal alien who nearly killed Dalilah should never have been granted a commercial driver’s license,” Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said in a statement. “Congress now has the opportunity to take action and ensure that a tragedy like this never occurs again.”
Lakewood case highlights gap in proposed law
In July 2025, Raul Luna-Perez, an undocumented immigrant from Mexico, was charged with two counts of vehicular homicide after a head-on collision in Lakewood, New Jersey, that killed Maria Pleitez and her 11-year-old daughter, Dayanara Cortes. Investigators said Luna-Perez’s blood alcohol level was more than three times the legal limit and that he had prior arrests for DUI and domestic violence in New Jersey.
However, Luna-Perez was not operating a commercial vehicle and did not possess a CDL — underscoring a key criticism of Dalilah’s Law. Opponents argue that the proposed measure would not have prevented the Lakewood crash or others involving unlicensed or intoxicated drivers with standard credentials.
“This bill addresses commercial licensing, but the tragedies we’re seeing involve people driving standard passenger vehicles,” one New Jersey law enforcement official said. “It’s not clear this law would change that.”
New Jersey incidents intensify national debate
A separate February 2026 crash in Newark also fueled debate after an ICE pursuit of Christian Oswaldo Guevara-Guerra, a Salvadoran national with a 2017 deportation order, ended in a multi-vehicle collision that injured three children. Guevara-Guerra, who was driving a personal vehicle, was not licensed to operate a commercial truck either.
Both incidents have deepened political divides over immigration enforcement in New Jersey. Supporters of Dalilah’s Law argue that the bill represents a first step toward tightening all licensing restrictions. Opponents, including immigrant advocacy groups, contend it distracts from the root causes of unsafe driving and unfairly targets noncitizens.
New Jersey’s stance on licensing undocumented drivers
New Jersey law, enacted in 2020, allows undocumented immigrants to obtain standard driver’s licenses, but not commercial ones. State officials have defended the policy as a public safety measure, saying it ensures all drivers are tested, licensed, and insured.
Governor Mikie Sherrill, who has recently clashed with the Trump Administration over immigration enforcement, said the White House proposal “misses the mark.” In a statement, she noted, “Banning commercial licenses doesn’t make our roads safer when the real issues are drunk driving, reckless behavior, and lack of enforcement. This is about scoring political points, not solving problems.”
Road safety and political impact
Backers of Dalilah’s Law maintain that preventing undocumented immigrants from obtaining CDLs would enhance highway safety and close loopholes in state licensing systems. Federal officials argue that certain states, such as California, have allowed undocumented drivers to operate heavy commercial vehicles, posing public safety risks.
Still, in states like New Jersey — where commercial licenses for undocumented immigrants are already prohibited — the law’s practical effect may be limited. Analysts suggest the proposal is more symbolic than structural, aimed at reinforcing federal immigration priorities rather than addressing everyday road safety concerns.
Congress is expected to take up the bill later this spring, amid sharp partisan divides over immigration policy and state autonomy.
Tags: New Jersey, Dalilah’s Law, immigration