A chilling question is echoing through the halls of Harrisburg: how did an individual with potential ties to terrorism legally operate an 18-wheeler within Pennsylvania’s borders? The recent arrest of an Uzbek national in Kansas, driving with a Pennsylvania Commercial Driver’s License (CDL), has ignited a firestorm of concern and accusations.
Before the arrest even made national headlines, state Senator Jarrett Coleman was already sounding the alarm. Days prior, he dispatched a stark warning to PennDOT Secretary Mike Carroll, demanding answers about the apparent vulnerabilities in the state’s CDL issuance process. Coleman’s letter wasn’t a knee-jerk reaction; it stemmed from disturbing reports surfacing after an October bust in Oklahoma, where a dozen illegal immigrants had obtained their licenses through the very same Harrisburg office.
Coleman isn’t simply seeking explanations; he’s alleging a deliberate pattern of prioritizing political appearances over the safety of Pennsylvanians. He describes a disturbing silence from the Shapiro administration when pressed for details on how individuals illegally present in the country – and potentially with criminal backgrounds – are slipping through the cracks and gaining control of massive commercial vehicles.
The senator, along with colleagues Doug Mastriano, Kristin Phillips-Hill, and Dawn Keefer, formally requested over a dozen data points from PennDOT. They wanted to know if the state had even reviewed the files of CDL holders recently arrested by ICE, and whether proper verification procedures were followed during the initial license issuance. The core question: is Pennsylvania truly vetting these drivers, or are they simply rubber-stamping applications?
Adding another layer of complexity, a federal judge recently overturned a directive from the USDOT Secretary to halt the issuance of licenses to non-domiciled drivers. This decision, while legally sound, has further fueled anxieties about the potential for exploitation within the system.
PennDOT insists it follows rigorous federal and state protocols, utilizing the Department of Homeland Security’s SAVE database to verify immigration status in real-time. According to a spokesperson, licenses are only issued to those confirmed to be legally residing in the U.S. and meeting all other criteria. They claim a dual-check system is in place for every non-citizen applicant.
However, this assurance rings hollow for many, especially in light of the recent arrest. The individual in question, Akhror Bozorov, not only possessed a CDL but also obtained REAL ID verification – a heightened level of identification. This raises the stakes considerably, prompting demands for accountability from the highest levels of state government.
The Pennsylvania Republican Party has escalated the issue, branding it not just a policy failure, but a potential national security breach. They are demanding a full investigation into the decision-making process that allowed Bozorov to obtain the necessary credentials, and calling for those responsible to be held accountable.
The Shapiro administration, in turn, has deflected some of the criticism, suggesting that concerns should be directed towards the federal Department of Homeland Security, which manages the SAVE database. This political maneuvering does little to quell the growing public unease.
Bozorov’s license listed a Philadelphia address, specifically a neighborhood experiencing a demographic shift with an increasing number of residents from Russia and Arabic-speaking countries. This detail, while seemingly minor, adds another layer of intrigue to an already complex and deeply concerning situation. The questions remain: how did this happen, and what safeguards are now in place to prevent it from happening again?
