U.S. Border Patrol agents in Arizona recently turned back two Mexican truck drivers at the Interstate 19 immigration checkpoint, marking the latest example of a fast-expanding federal crackdown on immigrant commercial drivers that has swept across multiple states in recent weeks.
Agents assigned to the busy Interstate-19 checkpoint north of Amado said the truck drivers — both Mexican nationals — were violating “multiple federal regulations, including cabotage laws,” according to a Tuesday news release.
The truckers’ border crossing cards were processed for revocation, and the tractor-trailers were towed after the men retrieved their belongings.
“The drivers were returned to Mexico and were informed that their border crossing cards would be processed for revocation due to violations of their visa terms,” U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) said in a statement. “Drivers retrieved their personal belongings from the vehicles, which were subsequently towed. The truck owners were notified of the enforcement actions.”
CBP said the actions are part of a broader mission to “protect U.S. jobs by enforcing cabotage laws,” stating that foreign drivers are prohibited from hauling freight between two domestic points within the U.S.
The Arizona turnbacks follow a series of high-profile enforcement sweeps across Texas, Oklahoma, and Wyoming — a trend that industry advocates say has escalated sharply in the second half of 2025.
Earlier this month, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott announced that state troopers and federal partners apprehended 31 illegal immigrant truck drivers during a one-day enforcement surge on I-40. Many of the drivers held commercial driver’s licenses (CDLs) issued in California, Abbott said in a statement.
In late October, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the Oklahoma Highway Patrol arrested 34 illegal immigrant commercial drivers, including 26 individuals who were issued CDLs by California, Illinois, and New Jersey, ICE said.
Laramie County Sheriff’s Office, Wyoming Highway Patrol and ICE partnered for Operation Safe Haul in October, making 40 immigration arrests and inspecting 133 commercial vehicles for safety and licensing compliance, according to Cap City News.
The Trump administration’s immigration and labor-market enforcement initiatives are increasingly targeting commercial truck drivers — particularly non-domiciled CDL holders, cross-border drivers, and immigrant operators allegedly licensed in “sanctuary” states such as California, Illinois and New York.
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