New York Attorney General Letitia James and a group of state attorneys general sued the Trump administration Thursday over federal demands for the personal information of millions of commercial drivers.
The lawsuit seeks to stop the U.S. Department of Transportation and Department of Homeland Security from getting records from the Commercial Driver’s License Information System, or CDLIS.
The states say the database contains the names, birth dates, and Social Security numbers of about 17 million commercial drivers, including nearly 500,000 New Yorkers.
“The Trump administration is attempting to seize confidential state records without any lawful justification,” James said. “New Yorkers provide their personal information to the state with the expectation that it will be protected, not handed over to anyone who demands it.”
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, part of the Transportation Department, demanded the records from the American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators on July 23, according to the lawsuit. The group operates CDLIS for the states.
Federal officials also threatened to cut off funding for the system if the records were not provided, the states said. AAMVA plans to turn over the information Aug. 17 unless a court stops the demand. DHS issued a separate subpoena for the records on Tuesday.
States have used CDLIS for nearly 40 years to check drivers’ records and make sure commercial drivers are properly licensed and qualified.
New York uses the system about 30,000 times a day. State officials say losing access could disrupt licensing for nearly 20,000 commercial learner’s permit holders and about 500,000 CDL holders.
The states also say transferring the records to the federal government could put drivers’ privacy at risk. They argue that federal officials have not guaranteed the information would remain confidential or explained how it could be used or shared.
The coalition says the federal demands violate several privacy and administrative laws, as well as the Constitution.
The lawsuit asks a federal court to block the government from obtaining the records and stop AAMVA from turning them over while the case continues.
