SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WAND) - Illinois officials are leading a 21-state coalition challenging what they call an "unprecedented" and legally groundless demand by the Trump administration for the personal records of 17 million commercial drivers nationwide.
Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias and Attorney General Kwame Raoul announced a lawsuit targeting the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT), the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).
The federal agencies are seeking access to the Commercial Driver’s License Information System (CDLIS), a database established in 1986 and maintained by states to track the safety and licensing history of commercial drivers. According to the lawsuit, federal officials are demanding sensitive information—including Social Security numbers, dates of birth, and driver’s license numbers—without legal justification or privacy safeguards.
The lawsuit alleges DHS issued an "immigration enforcement subpoena" for the records, and that FMCSA threatened to withhold more than $10 million in critical federal safety funding unless the data is surrendered.
“Illinoisans should not be forced to surrender their personal information without clear legal authority, strict privacy protections and firm limits on its use unrelated to public safety,” Giannoulias said in a statement.
Attorney General Raoul accused the federal government of attempting to "ransack" a database designed for transportation safety to use for improper purposes.
“Yet again, the Trump administration has threatened to hold federal funding hostage in order to obtain personally identifiable information of millions of Americans for improper purposes,” Raoul said.
The lawsuit alleges the federal demands violate federal privacy laws and the Administrative Procedure Act.
Copyright 2026. WANDTV. All Rights Reserved.
