Lawmakers warned PennDOT of illegal immigrant-CDL crisis before bust; GOP demands answers from Shapiro

By Fox News · Fox News

EXCLUSIVE: Pennsylvania lawmakers warned Harrisburg officials of a potential crisis on their hands before Monday’s arrest of an Uzbek illegal immigrant trucker in Kansas who held a PennDOT commercial driver's license (CDL). Senate Intergovernmental Operations Committee chairman Jarrett Coleman shared a letter with Fox News Digital that he sent just days earlier to PennDOT Secretary Mike Carroll asking for answers to how illegal immigrants were receiving CDL licenses despite stated rigorous identity checks. Coleman, R-Allentown, said Monday’s incident was "deeply disturbing but not surprising" and another example of the Shapiro administration "prioritiz[ing] political optics over public safety." He said that Pennsylvanians deserve accountability in situations like this and that if the administration will not provide public answers, then there is a "much bigger problem on our hands." TRUCKERS WARN OF 'FOREIGN INVASION' AS DHS CRACKS DOWN ON ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT DRIVERS "Public safety is not negotiable," he said. "Ten days ago, I and several colleagues formally requested answers from PennDOT about what safeguards they have in place to prevent individuals who are in this country illegally, and in some cases have criminal records, from obtaining CDLs." ICE ARRESTS ILLEGAL-IMMIGRANT TRUCKER FROM UZBEKISTAN OVER ALLEGED TERROR TIES The letter had been prompted by reports that a dozen illegal immigrants netted in an October bust of about 80 noncitizen truckers in Oklahoma were issued their licenses by Harrisburg. " Governor Shapiro is quick to jump in front of cameras and tout his leadership, but when it comes to answering basic questions about how his administration is protecting Pennsylvania drivers, we get silence," Coleman said. "This isn’t just bureaucratic delay. It’s stonewalling. And it’s dangerous." Coleman led the letter, which was cosigned by Sens. Doug Mastriano , R-Gettysburg, Kristin Phillips-Hill, R-Dallastown, and Dawn Keefer, R-Dillsburg. EXPERT REVEALS HOW I…