DELAWARE - Attorney General Kathy Jennings and a coalition of 21 attorneys general announced a federal judge temporarily blocked the Trump administration from obtaining a database containing sensitive personal information on almost 17 million commercial drivers.
A U.S. District Court judge granted a temporary restraining order on Aug. 21, preventing the administration from requiring the American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators to turn over the personal data. The order also prevents the federal government from terminating more than $10 million in funding to AAMVA because of the organizations refusal to provide the database.
“What happened here is simple, the Trump Administration attempted to expose Delawareans’ sensitive personal data in an effort to extort our state,” said Jennings. “It was outrageous and illegal. I’m glad the court agreed with us that these disclosures should be halted while we are seeking an injunction.”
Jennings and the coalition filed lawsuits last week against the U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration and AAMVA. The coalition also filed a related lawsuit against the Department of Homeland Security.
The lawsuits allege the federal agencies violated multiple privacy laws by attempting to establish a database using records obtained from AAMVA without safeguards governing the use or sharing of Social Security numbers and other personal information. The states also argue the demand violates the Administrative Procedure Act, saying the federal government lacks a legitimate need to control the state-owned records and failed to consult states before making the change.
Congress established the Commercial Driver’s License Information System in 1986 to allow states to share information about commercial driver’s license applicants and determine whether applicants are licensed elsewhere. Since 1988, the Department of Transportation has contracted with AAMVA, a private nonprofit organization, to operate the system for states.
When approving a commercial driver’s license application, states verify information including a driver's identity, medical fitness, immigration status, licensing history and driving record. Information stored in the system can include a driver's name, date of birth, Social Security number, driver's license number and the state that supplied the record.
According to the attorney general's office, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration directed the AAMVA to provide information for every driver in the database going back five years. The office said the agency threatened to terminate AAMVA's federal grants and contracts after the organization raised concerns about the directive.
AAMVA then told states it would comply with the federal demand, prompting the attorneys general to seek emergency court intervention. The legal challenge is one of several Delaware has brought against the Trump administration over access to personal information and conditions placed on federal funding.
Jennings sued in August 2025 over efforts to share confidential Medicaid health information with the Department of Homeland Security for immigration enforcement. Her office also brought challenges involving Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program information, Treasury Department records and student data held by higher education institutions. Jennings and Gov. Matt Meyer also challenged a federal subpoena seeking employment information involving Delaware businesses and their employees during the spring of 2026.
According to Jennings' office, Delaware has preserved more than $300 million in federal funding through challenges to immigration-related conditions involving transportation, education, emergency management and domestic violence shelters. The coalition is now seeking a preliminary injunction that would prevent the commercial driver's license data from being turned over while the case proceeds.
