A shocking case out of Oklahoma has reignited the national debate over illegal immigration, government verification systems, and state-level sanctuary laws after ICE agents arrested an undocumented Indian national driving a semitruck with a commercial driver’s license (CDL) that listed his name as “No Name Given.” The driver, identified as Anmol Anmol, was detained during a highway inspection earlier this week. His license, issued in New York State and marked as REAL ID compliant, has triggered furious criticism from immigration officials and lawmakers who say the incident exposes a dangerous loophole in the system.
ICE Director Todd Lyons addressed the situation in a fiery interview on Fox News, saying the discovery was “beyond unacceptable.” Holding up a copy of the license, Lyons pointed to the name section reading “Anmol No Name Given” and said, “It’s really scary. To see that on a license — ‘No name given’? And there’s a REAL ID star in the corner? That’s a threat to public safety.” Lyons went on to question how such a document could be approved, warning that sanctuary-state policies are making it easier for undocumented individuals to secure credentials that appear legitimate on the surface.
According to ICE, the case is not isolated. Anmol’s arrest follows a string of nationwide investigations into undocumented truck drivers operating under fraudulent or weakly verified CDLs. Federal authorities have detained at least 91 similar individuals since August, many connected through licensing programs in states with more lenient documentation requirements. The investigation gained urgency after a horrific semi-truck crash in Florida earlier this year involving another undocumented Indian driver, which left seven people dead. Lyons referenced that tragedy directly, saying, “That Florida case should have been the wake-up call. Now, we’re seeing it again — and it’s only a matter of time before another innocent life is lost.”
At the center of the controversy is New York’s “Green Light Law,” enacted in 2019, which allows undocumented immigrants to obtain standard driver’s licenses. The law was expanded in 2023 to include eligibility for commercial licenses for individuals with federal work authorization, provided they meet certain documentation criteria. Critics argue that the expansion has led to errors, misuse, and insufficient vetting. Supporters claim it improves road safety by ensuring all drivers, regardless of status, are trained and insured.
ICE officials, however, say the risks are mounting. “We’re not talking about regular licenses here,” Lyons emphasized. “These are commercial drivers — people hauling thousands of pounds of cargo, hazardous materials, even chemicals. To have someone with unverifiable identification operating those vehicles is a recipe for disaster.” The agency has since launched a review of how states share license data with federal systems, including the Department of Homeland Security, after discovering inconsistencies in verification protocols.
The arrest of Anmol Anmol has quickly become a flashpoint in the broader political debate over sanctuary policies and federal oversight. Lawmakers in Washington are already demanding accountability. Senator Tom Cotton called the incident “a glaring example of failed immigration enforcement,” while other Republican leaders have urged Congress to reconsider funding for states that refuse to coordinate fully with ICE. Even some moderate Democrats expressed concern, saying that while the goal of driver licensing laws may be to increase safety, this case highlights a “critical need for stronger vetting standards.”
Public reaction has been fierce, with social media users flooding comment sections with outrage and disbelief. Photos of the “No Name Given” license went viral within hours, amplifying calls for an immediate investigation into how it was approved. Meanwhile, ICE continues to probe whether the driver obtained his license fraudulently or if clerical negligence allowed it to pass through state verification systems.
Director Lyons concluded his remarks with a sharp warning: “We cannot allow our roads, our families, and our communities to be endangered by bureaucratic recklessness. Americans deserve to know that the person behind the wheel of an 80,000-pound truck has been properly vetted. Right now, that trust is broken — and we’re going to fix it.”
