Maryland Attorney General Anthony G. Brown has joined a coalition of attorneys general in filing two lawsuits challenging the Trump administration’s efforts to obtain a database containing personal information belonging to millions of drivers.
The coalition, which includes 21 attorneys general and the state of Pennsylvania, filed one lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT), Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) and American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators (AAMVA), along with a related lawsuit against the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).
According to Brown’s office, the lawsuits challenge federal efforts to obtain records from the Commercial Driver’s License Information System (CDLIS), which contains information including drivers’ names, dates of birth, Social Security numbers and driver’s license numbers.
The coalition alleges that federal agencies are violating privacy and other federal laws by attempting to create a database using the records without sufficient restrictions governing how the information could be used or shared. Those allegations have not been adjudicated.
“Once again, the Trump administration is trying to unlawfully seize Marylanders’ personal data with no legitimate purpose, no safeguards to protect it, and no warning to the public or consultation with the states,” Brown said. “We are joining this lawsuit because this data belongs to the states, and the federal government cannot force another party to hand it over without lawful justification.”
Congress established CDLIS in 1986 to allow states to share information about commercial driver’s license applicants and determine whether an applicant is licensed in another state. Since 1988, DOT has contracted with AAMVA, a private nonprofit organization, to operate the system.
According to the lawsuits, FMCSA requested data for every driver in CDLIS going back five years. Brown’s office said the agency threatened to terminate more than $10 million in federal grants and contracts with AAMVA after the organization raised concerns about the request. DHS also issued an administrative subpoena seeking the same data set.
The coalition is seeking an emergency court order to prevent the information from being turned over while the legal challenges proceed.
Joining Maryland in the litigation are attorneys general from Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Vermont, Virginia, Washington and Wisconsin, along with the state of Pennsylvania.
