ICE Director Calls NY ‘No Name Given’ CDL Really Scary

(NEW YORK, OKLAHOMA) Federal immigration officials and New York state authorities are clashing over a New York CDL issued to an Indian national whose license displayed the name “No Name Given Anmol.” The driver, known as Anmol, was later arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in Oklahoma for entering the United States 🇺🇸 illegally in 2023, according to ICE. The case has sparked a fresh national debate on identity standards, legal presence checks for commercial drivers, and whether states are meeting federal rules when issuing high‑trust credentials.

ICE says Anmol was stopped by the Oklahoma Highway Patrol during a routine commercial vehicle inspection. His Class A commercial driver’s license, issued by New York in April 2024 and valid until May 2028, included a REAL ID star, which signals that the document meets federal identity security standards. After the stop, ICE determined Anmol had entered the country without permission and began removal proceedings.

Senior Department of Homeland Security officials blasted New York’s licensing approach. Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin called it “risky and extremely dangerous” to allow people without legal status to operate commercial trucks, arguing the presence of “No Name Given” shows a lack of proper vetting. ICE leadership also said New York is failing to verify citizenship or record full legal names for some non‑citizen applicants.

New York’s Department of Motor Vehicles pushed back. The agency said the No Name Given label is a long‑standing, federally recognized way to format records for applicants from countries where some people have only one legal name. The DMV added that New York issued Anmol’s license in full compliance with federal rules and said he held valid authorization to work when the license was issued, pointing to a federal employment authorization document from March 2024.

Policy and identity rules at issue

New York’s 2019 “Green Light Law” lets undocumented residents apply for standard driver’s licenses if they prove identity, date of birth, and state residency. But a commercial driver’s license (CDL) is different: CDLs are regulated by federal law and require proof of legal presence.

New York says it follows those federal requirements, including database checks and document validation, before issuing a CDL.

At the center of this dispute is the naming format. Many governments—including the federal government—have procedures for mononyms, which are single legal names used in parts of the world such as India and Indonesia. In those cases, New York’s system can place “No Name Given” in the first‑name field and the person’s one legal name—here, “Anmol”—in the surname or main name field.

State officials say this input is consistent with federal identity standards used to manage data fields that require both a given name and a surname.

ICE, however, argues that the label “No Name Given” can cause confusion for law enforcement and raises safety issues in commercial trucking, which relies heavily on accurate identity records. According to analysis by VisaVerge.com, the dispute shows how data‑entry rules, identity databases, and immigration checks can pull in different directions when a person’s name does not fit standard two‑part formats.

New York also points to Anmol’s federal work permit as proof that he had lawful presence at the time of issuance. The DMV says it validated his status before printing the license and affixing the REAL ID indicator. If that account holds, it would mean the license was properly issued at the time—even if the person later fell out of status or was found removable.

ICE counters that the key issue is public safety now, not just status at issuance, especially for drivers operating heavy vehicles across state lines.

Impact on applicants, carriers, and police

For immigrants and trucking companies, the stakes are real. A CDL is a pathway to steady work, but it comes with strict rules on identity and status. Carriers need confidence that a New York CDL is solid in every state where their trucks run. Police and inspectors need licenses that match identity databases cleanly during roadside checks.

This case exposes several friction points:

• Mononym applicants face extra hurdles because systems expect two‑part names; “No Name Given” is a workaround but can appear odd.
• Law enforcement officers want records that align across states and federal systems without manual guesswork.
• Employers need clarity on whether a license remains valid if a worker’s immigration status later changes.

Key questions include whether naming workarounds should be more clearly explained on the credential or in training for police and carriers, and how states should reflect status changes after issuance. The New York DMV says its process already complies with federal requirements, while ICE says the presence of “No Name Given” signals deeper vetting flaws.

Officials also stress that a CDL cannot be issued to someone without legal presence. New York maintains it checked federal databases and verified a federal work permit before issuing the card. In immigration terms, that work permit is issued as an Employment Authorization Document (EAD), commonly produced as Form I‑766. Readers can find federal details on the EAD here: USCIS Employment Authorization Document (Form I-766).

Public debate, fact checks, and practical steps

The public debate has been fueled by social media claims that New York is issuing CDLs to undocumented immigrants in large numbers, including those labeled “No Name Given.” Fact‑checkers and the state DMV say that claim is partly wrong: the phrase is a data formatting tool for single‑name applicants, not a sign that identity data is missing.

The DMV reiterates that all CDLs must meet federal legal presence rules and that it followed those rules in this case.

Still, the case of No Name Given Anmol lands in a heated moment for road safety and immigration policy. The trucking sector faces driver shortages while enforcement agencies focus on preventing fraud and ensuring that only qualified, properly licensed drivers operate heavy trucks.

Lawmakers in several states have called for reviews of how mononym cases are handled in licensing systems so that officers and inspectors can read IDs quickly and correctly on the roadside.

Practical recommendations for mononym drivers and employers:

1. Carry backup identity documents.
2. Keep employment authorization (EAD) current.
3. Check that the license data (including the placement of the single name) matches federal records.
4. Employers should train staff who enroll drivers in compliance systems to enter names exactly as printed on the license so background checks and drug‑and‑alcohol clearinghouse queries do not stall.

Ongoing scrutiny and outlook

The Anmol case is now part of wider scrutiny of non‑citizen drivers in commercial operations. While New York stands by its process, ICE and DHS say they will continue to question any CDL that appears to lack full identity detail or current legal presence.

That tension may prompt federal agencies and states to clarify naming rules for mononym holders across all identity systems—from DMVs to commercial driver databases—so field officers see consistent records every time.

As of October 12, 2025, the investigation and political debate are ongoing. New York says the New York CDL at issue met federal standards at issuance, including legal presence checked through a federal EAD. ICE says allowing someone later found removable to keep driving a commercial truck is “really scary” for public safety.

Both sides agree on one thing: CDL identity and status checks must be tight, and the stakes for families, carriers, and everyone on the road could not be higher.