SOTU 2026: What is Delilah law? Trump seeks CDL to ban undocumented drivers

US President Donald Trump, during his State of the Union speech on February 24, introduced the “Delilah law” to ban commercial driving licenses for undocumented immigrants. This is merely a legislative proposal, not a law yet. President Donald Trump, since the beginning of his second term, accelerated efforts to address immigration-related issues and weaponised it on various instances. "We will pass the Delilah Law that will bar illegal aliens from getting a commercial driver's license," said Trump in his statement.

What Is the ‘Delilah Law’?

President Donald Trump, in his speech, called upon Congress to pass a law that would bar all states from allowing undocumented immigrants to obtain commercial driving licenses. Commercial driver's licenses (CDLs) are licenses required to operate heavy vehicles such as 18-wheelers or buses weighing more than 10,000 lbs.

Why is it called the ‘Delilah Law’?

US President Donald Trump referred to the proposed legislation as the “Delilah Law”, named after Dalilah Coleman, then 5 years old, who was severely injured after an accident involving her family's car and trailer tractor. The injury left her with Traumatic Brain Injury, Cerebral Palsy, and loss of major psychomotor functions. She is now relearning how to speak. The person involved in the accident was an undocumented immigrant, Partap Singh, an Indian man

What did Trump say during SOTU 2026?

Trump, in the 2026 State of the Union speech, said that most of the "illegal immigrants" did not know English and couldn't recognise basic signs. He further accused Joe Biden of letting in the “illegal immigrant", which caused the accident. Now, 7-year-old Delilah Coleman was among the audience along with her father, Marcus. Trump called her an “inspiration”

"Many, if not most, illegal aliens do not speak English and cannot read even the most basic road signs," said Trump. He continued, "That's why tonight I'm calling on Congress to pass what we will call the Delilah law, barring any state from granting commercial driver's licences to illegal aliens."

How CDLs Currently Work in the US?

The state authorities are responsible for issuing CDLs under the guidelines set by the Department of Transport of the Federal Government. Any applicant must provide proof of training from a Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) certified training provider. They must also pass the written test, as well medical and skill test. The Federal government, on February 13, introduced an administrative rule that made it illegal to provide CDLs to undocumented immigrants. Earlier, CDLs were issued based on only an Employment Authorisation Document (EAD) for asylum seekers, but now it is allowed for only specific visas like H-2A (agricultural), H-2B (non-agricultural), or E-2 (treaty investor). US President Donald Trump is urging the congress to make it official by turning it into an federal law.