Shapiro defends Pennsylvania CDL course of after Uzbek terror suspect case

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Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro responded to backlash over the arrest of an Uzbek unlawful immigrant with suspected terror ties who was captured by federal authorities whereas holding a Pennsylvania business driver’s license.

Akhror Bozorov was nabbed by ICE whereas driving an enormous rig in Kansas and holding a Pennsylvania CDL with a Somerton, Philadelphia tackle. He was wished in Tashkent, Uzbekistan on suspicion of ties to terrorist teams amongst different allegations, based on DHS.

Shapiro mentioned Bozorov nonetheless remained within the federal database PennDOT makes use of to vet noncitizens for licensure validity as of Wednesday – and administration officers penned a scathing letter to lawmakers in regards to the incident, disputing that it was ever doable he was registered to vote as some critics questioned.

In a letter to Home and Senate leaders obtained by Fox Information Digital, PennDOT Secretary Mike Carroll, a Democrat, and Secretary of the Commonwealth Al Schmidt, a Republican, pushed again on "misstatements and ill-informed hypothesis" from essential officers, together with allegations unlawful immigrants are permitted beneath the Shapiro administration to acquire state driver’s licenses.

ICE ARRESTS ILLEGAL-IMMIGRANT TRUCKER FROM UZBEKISTAN OVER ALLEGED TERROR TIES

Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro gestures to followers on the Pitt/WVU sport at Milan Puskar Stadium in Morgantown WV (Brien Aho/Getty Pictures)

"All non-citizens who apply for driver’s licenses… should present PennDOT with proof of id and will need to have their authorized presence on this nation verified by the federal Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements (SAVE) database ," Carroll and Schmidt wrote.

"The SAVE database is maintained by the US Division of Homeland Safety. Within the occasion the letter references, PennDOT adopted the established federal course of for confirming that the applicant was lawfully current utilizing the SAVE database," they mentioned.

Carroll mentioned PennDOT communicated with DHS on the matter Tuesday and located the database didn't flag any points within the time since Bozorov’s license was issued in July.

LAWMAKERS WARNED PENNDOT OF ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT-CDL CRISIS BEFORE BUST; GOP DEMANDS ANSWERS FROM SHAPIRO

Schmidt’s workplace handles voter registration and state elections, and the letter went on to say that noncitizens who're lawfully issued licenses are marked with "particular indicators" that stop them from using any "motor voter" registration processes.

"We checked the federal database months in the past, when this particular person acquired his CDL, and he was approved to get it by the federal database," Shapiro mentioned Wednesday.

"Mockingly, we went and checked the database yesterday—he’s nonetheless qualified to get a CDL ."

Shapiro mentioned DHS was "clearly not minding the store" and "obtained to get higher -- as a result of every single state in the country depends on this database when making a dedication as to who qualifies for a CDL. We relied on the feds earlier than issuing this one."

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DHS pushed again on Shapiro’s claims, saying that federal work authorization "doesn't confer any authorized standing on this nation" and that knowledge limitations stem from prior administrations.

"Simply because the Biden administration granted Bozorov—a wished terrorist—work authorization and sanctuary politician Gov. Shapiro allowed him to get a CDL in Pennsylvania, doesn't imply he must be on America’s roads working an 18-wheeler and doubtlessly transporting hazardous supplies," a DHS spokesperson mentioned Thursday.

Charles Creitz is a reporter for Fox Information Digital.

He joined Fox Information in 2013 as a author and manufacturing assistant.

Charles covers media , politics and tradition for Fox Information Digital.

Charles is a Pennsylvania native and graduated from Temple College with a B.A. in Broadcast Journalism. Story ideas could be despatched to charles.creitz@fox.com.