Twenty-two states sue federal government over forced access to trucker records

Twenty-two states, led by the attorneys general of Illinois, Virginia, California and Washington, D.C., sued the Trump administration to block a federal request for a nationwide commercial driver license database containing 17 million records. The subpoena, issued by the Department of Homeland Security after a request from the Department of Transportation, seeks personally identifiable information such as names, dates of birth, Social Security numbers and license numbers.

The states contend the demand breaches the Driver’s Privacy Protection Act, the Privacy Act and the Administrative Procedure Act because the federal government did not consult them and has not shown a legitimate use for the data. Federal officials argue the information is essential for Operation Highway Shield, which aims to remove illegal-alien and otherwise unsafe truck drivers from the roads. The lawsuit also challenges a threat to withhold up to $10 million in grant money from the American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators if the data is not provided, a move the states say would cripple the system that tracks commercial driver credentials. The Transportation Department has not commented on the filing.