Immigration and Customs Enforcement says its Newark field office arrested two Uzbek nationals working as commercial truck drivers in New Jersey, part of a broader push scrutinizing how illegal aliens obtain commercial driving licenses.
ICE announced Tuesday that Enforcement and Removal Operations officers arrested Zokhid Zakhidov, 37, and Khayrullo Payzullaev, 30, in separate targeted operations on Aug. 23. Both men are Uzbek citizens whom ICE says are in the country illegally.
Zakhidov was convicted of DWI in New York in May and faces pending assault and harassment charges. Despite that record, New York had issued him a commercial learner’s permit.
Payzullaev held a non-domiciled CDL issued by Pennsylvania. An immigration judge ordered him detained in July, and he remains in ICE custody pending removal proceedings.
ICE Newark Field Office Director Arthur Wilson said the arrests reflect the agency’s broader mandate.
“Our field office is fully aligned with DHS’ commitment to enforcing our immigration laws and Secretary Mullin’s focus on protecting our communities and keeping dangerous individuals off our roadways,” Wilson said. “Every day, ICE officers in New Jersey are dedicated to identifying, arresting and removing individuals who are unlawfully present and who endanger the American people.”
Pennsylvania’s CDL program under federal review
The case adds to existing federal scrutiny of Pennsylvania’s commercial licensing program. Regulators have identified problems in the commonwealth’s process, including licenses that extended beyond a driver’s authorized period of stay in the United States. Some drivers who received CDLs through the program have since been involved in fatal crashes.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy has threatened to withhold nearly $75 million in federal highway funding from Pennsylvania unless the state addresses the deficiencies in its CDL program.
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