Immigration Sweep Targets Truckers as Lawsuit Threatens Carrier Fee System

Federal immigration agents arrested more than 230 undocumented immigrants in a three-day operation aimed at the trucking industry. It is the latest escalation of the Trump administration’s campaign against commercial drivers it says are unqualified or unlawfully licensed.

More than 40 of those detained held commercial driver’s licenses, the Department of Homeland Security said Monday. Operation Guardian ran from Oct. 26 to Oct. 28 across 15 states, including Texas, Florida, Georgia and Oklahoma. Immigration and Customs Enforcement carried it out alongside state and local police.

“Operation Guardian proves how federal and local law enforcement can work together,” Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin said at the Tulsa, Oklahoma, headquarters of Melton Truck Lines. DHS said ICE has made 4,795 CDL-related arrests since January 2025, including 1,233 involving license holders. The department didn’t say which states had issued the licenses.

Large carriers have broadly welcomed the wider crackdown on driver licensing, saying it is removing unsafe operators and tightening capacity after a long freight downturn.

Separately, a small-carrier group is asking a federal appeals court to strike down the system used to register interstate trucking companies and fund state safety enforcement. The Small Business in Transportation Coalition argues that the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration never issued the regulations needed to establish the Unified Carrier Registration system. If so, the coalition says, the program’s board and its fees are invalid.

The coalition filed its petition with the US Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit last month and is seeking expedited review. Its challenge targets 2027 registration fees, which are rising by about 20%. Participating states use the revenue to pay for roadside inspections and other enforcement.

The UCR Plan “strongly believes it was lawfully established,” said its executive director, Avelino Gutierrez. Both sides have told carriers to keep paying, with enforcement of 2027 registrations due to begin on Jan. 1.