Supreme Court Rejects Florida’s Lawsuit Against California and Washington Over CDLs

The U.S. Supreme Court has declined to hear a lawsuit filed by Florida against California and Washington, which alleged that the two states issued commercial driver’s licenses (CDLs) to individuals not lawfully present in the United States—a practice Florida argued violated federal immigration law. The Court denied the appeal without comment on Tuesday.

Background of the Case

The legal dispute stems from a fatal traffic accident in Florida in 2023. The driver, Harjinder Singh, an Indian national without legal status in the U.S., faces criminal charges for allegedly making an illegal U-turn that caused a collision, resulting in three deaths.

According to Florida, Singh held a valid CDL issued by California and had previously been granted one by Washington state. Florida’s lawsuit argued that these states’ policies—which permit individuals without proof of citizenship or legal permanent residency to obtain CDLs—directly conflict with federal immigration statutes. The state claimed that this practice creates a public safety risk by allowing individuals who do not meet federal legal presence requirements to operate commercial vehicles on interstate highways.

Supreme Court Decision

The Supreme Court’s order denied Florida’s request to file a “bill of complaint,” a procedural mechanism that allows one state to sue another directly in the highest court. Justices Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito dissented from the decision. Justice Thomas wrote that, under the Court’s original jurisdiction, it has “no discretion” to decline to hear such disputes between states.

Positions of the Parties

• Florida: Supported by Iowa and 16 other states, Florida argued that California and Washington’s defiance of federal immigration law forced unsafe drivers onto the road, threatening public safety in other states.
• California & Washington: The states responded that the lawsuit was without merit. Washington Attorney General Nicholas Brown characterized the suit as a “political stunt.”

Related Developments

• Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier, appointed by Governor Ron DeSantis, is running for a full term and has made conservative causes a focus of his campaign.
• The crash that initiated the lawsuit has fueled broader political debate over immigration and transportation safety. The previous Trump administration proposed new federal restrictions limiting which immigrants could obtain CDLs for operating semi-trailer trucks or buses. A federal appeals court has temporarily blocked that proposal.