Giannoulias Vows to Fight Trump Administration’s Demand for Sensitive Driver Data

Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias is pushing back on the Trump administration’s unprecedented demand seeking 17 million driving records without legal justification or safeguards governing how the information would be shared or used.

Illinois joined a coalition of states to challenge demands made by the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT), Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) and Department of Homeland Security (DHS) for access to records exchanged through the Commercial Driver’s License Information System (CDLIS), a nationwide system maintained on behalf of the states. The legal effort – lead by Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul and joined by 20 other states – maintains that the federal agencies are violating federal and state law by seeking sensitive information, including Social Security numbers, dates of birth and driver’s license numbers, for improper purposes.

DHS has also issued an “immigration enforcement subpoena” demanding the same records sought by FMCSA, and federal officials acknowledged that the two efforts are coordinated. When states raised legal and privacy concerns, FMCSA threatened to withhold more than $10 million in federal funding to the American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators unless the records were turned over – jeopardizing the operation of CDLIS, a critical nationwide public safety system.

“The Trump administration is demanding an unprecedented amount of state-owned, sensitive personal information from millions of law-abiding drivers without providing adequate legal justification or meaningful assurances about how that data will be used, protected or shared for non-public safety-related purposes,” said Giannoulias, whose office maintains Illinois driving records and administers the state’s CDL program. “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. We have a duty to protect their privacy, prevent the misuse of their data and ensure both state and federal law are followed.”

“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. “This database was created 40 years ago so states could share information with each other to stop unsafe drivers from operating commercial vehicles, and the federal government’s decision to ransack that database puts the whole system in jeopardy. I will continue to push back on the unnecessary and unlawful attempts of the Trump administration to misuse Americans’ most personal information.”

CDLIS was established by Congress in 1986 to allow states to share information about commercial drivers and identify drivers licensed in multiple states. States own the personal data stored in CDLIS and maintain the records in the system as part of their responsibility for issuing and overseeing CDLs. Before issuing a CDL, states verify an applicant’s identity, medical fitness, immigration status, and licensing and driving history. Once a CDL is issued, states maintain the information in CDLIS so other states can perform required safety and eligibility checks.

The lawsuits allege the federal government’s demands violate federal privacy laws and the Administrative Procedure Act and improperly seek state-owned records without adequate safeguards governing their use and disclosure.

Alexi Giannoulias was sworn into office as Illinois’ 38th Secretary of State on January 9, 2023. In this capacity, he also serves as the State Librarian and State Archivist. Giannoulias is committed to transforming the office’s antiquated IT infrastructure to modernize operations and improve customer service for all Illinoisans.