Representative Andy Biggs (R-AZ) pushed for his VERIFY CDL Act during a recent House Judiciary Immigration Integrity, Security, and Enforcement Subcommittee hearing with Angel Families.
The Context
Rep. Biggs allowed Elizabeth Carter, a woman whose son, William, was killed in November 2025 in a traffic accident by Rajinder Kumar, an illegal alien from India who cannot speak or read English, yet was issued a commercial driver's license (CDL) in California.
More egregiously, Carter described how "in Oregon, if the prosecutor tries to coordinate with ICE, that could mean that the charges are immediately dropped."
"They are tying our hands," Carter described tearfully, "our sanctuary laws are not protecting the American citizens that elected the officials. They are protecting the people who do not have a right to vote yet."
Moreover, she emphasized that "I keep hearing about how many people have been killed by ICE. Does anybody know how many American citizens have been killed by illegal immigrants that should not have been here in the first place if our federal laws were respected? I have not been able to find that number."
Biggs' Response
Rep. Biggs told Mrs. Carter that he had introduced legislation requiring the use of E-Verify before issuing a CDL, saying, "I would encourage this committee and the House and the Senate to pass that legislation."
Moreover, Rep. Biggs emphasized that Arizona has a state-level version of the law in place which has "worked pretty well," and thus accusations that the bill would "impact the economy" are false.
"It has actually facilitated [it], and I believe it would save lives if we did that," the Arizona congressman concluded before expressing his condolences to Carter for "this tragedy. A senseless, senseless tragedy."
Similar Bills
Last September, Representative Byron Donalds (R-FL) introduced the Weigh Station Enforcement to Intercept and Guard Highways (WEIGH) Act, which requires all weigh stations along interstate highways to review the commercial drivers' licenses of truckers for irregularities and ensure they are proficient in English.
