How did a terror suspect get a CDL? Lawmakers want answers
News had barely broken on the arrest of an alleged terrorist wanted by Uzbekistan. Almost immediately, lawmakers began demanding to know why he was issued a non-domiciled CDL.
Agents arrested 31-year-old Akhror Bozorov – a Uzbekistan national driving truck in the U.S. – wanted for belonging to a terrorist organization, according to a Department of Homeland Security news release.
An arrest warrant was issued by Uzbekistan for Bozorov in 2022 for being a member of a terrorist organization. He is accused of distributing terrorist propaganda calling for jihad online and recruiting terrorists to join the jihad movement, according to the release.
He was arrested Nov. 9 while working as a commercial truck driver in Kansas.
DHS’s news release says that Bozorov entered the U.S. illegally in February 2023. After being arrested by U.S. Border Patrol, he was released by the Biden administration and granted “work authorization” in January 2024. Bozorov was issued a commercial driver’s license on July 25, 2025, in Pennsylvania.
Blowback begins
On Nov. 18, the leaders of the Pennsylvania House Republican Caucus sent a letter to Attorney General Dave Sunday and Auditor General Tim DeFoor, demanding an investigation into Pennsylvania’s driver’s license, REAL ID, and voter registration systems to determine how this happened and prevent a recurrence.
“Illegal immigrants with alleged ties to terrorism should not be getting a Pennsylvania driver’s license in any form, obtaining a REAL ID, or having the opportunity to vote as part of automatic voter registration,” a Republican Caucus press release stated.
“Pennsylvanians are rightly demanding answers as to how this happened and what is being done to stop this from happening in the future, and those answers are best obtained by the Attorney General and Auditor General using the powers of their offices to hold the Shapiro administration accountable.
Later in the day, Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy weighed in on X, formerly known as Twitter.
We are suffering from the consequences of the Biden administration’s open border policies.⁰⁰A SUSPECTED TERRORIST from Uzbekistan should NEVER have been here, nonetheless been given a commercial trucking license! ⁰⁰Our NEW RULE would close the loopholes that allowed this… pic.twitter.com/aBwzUi5UZP
— Secretary Sean Duffy (@SecDuffy) November 18, 2025
What’s next
The Department of Transportation is researching its legal options to fight an emergency stay on an interim final rule that would have drastically limited the number of non-domiciled CDLs. Meanwhile, federal lawmakers are already floating potential legislative fixes.
The Non-Domiciled CDL Integrity Act, HR5688, aims to lock the currently paused Trump administration’s emergency interim final rule into federal law. Introduced Oct. 3 by Rep. David Rouzer, R-N.C., the bill mirrors the rule’s core intent: drastically cutting down the number of non-domiciled CDLs states can issue.
Under both the interim rule and Rouzer’s legislation, an Employment Authorization Document would no longer qualify someone for a non-domiciled CDL. Asylum seekers, asylees, refugees and DACA recipients would also be ruled out entirely – a major shift, considering most current non-domiciled CDL holders rely on an employment authorization document.
What makes Rouzer’s bill particularly notable is its staying power.
While the DOT’s interim rule is already facing lawsuits and could be revised or tossed out by a future administration, changing federal law is a far heavier lift. HR5688 has already drawn support, with more than 36 co-sponsors signed on.
Meanwhile, Rep. Jeff Van Drew, R-N.J., introduced the No CDLs for Illegals Act on Oct. 28.
The bill, HR5863, would require CDL applicants to prove they are U.S. citizens, lawful permanent residents or have valid work authorization. The legislation also seeks to block issuance of non-domiciled CDLs to anyone not living in the state issuing the license.
One element of the bill that may peak interest in the legislation following Bozorov’s arrest, is an additional background check requirement. It would require states to use the federal SAVE system to verify the immigration status of non-citizen applicants. If SAVE can’t confirm lawful presence, the state would be required to deny the CDL.
The measure also gives the Secretary of Transportation the power to cut federal funding from states that improperly issue CDLs. LL