BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KBAK/KBFX) — U.S. Senator Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) will be having a roundtable with Sikh truck drivers, businesses, and community members to listen and learn about the ongoing threats Sikh individuals are facing.

Thousands of immigrant truck drivers and their families are in a state of uncertainty as they face the threat of losing their commercial driver's licenses. A federal audit has determined that 20,000 license holders no longer meet federal standards, putting their livelihoods at risk.

"It's a big challenge for us in the community just trying to survive in this economy with what's going on," said Sukhbir Johal, owner of Road Liner Logistics, Inc. He said many of his immigrant truck drivers are fearful of coming to work.

Johal said, "Even my shop guys, my mechanics, even dispatchers, they're going to lose their jobs because if there's no drivers, no trucking can move. Everybody's linked in with the drivers."

In response, the Bakersfield Trucking Association held a roundtable with California Sen. Adam Schiff to address the issue. It comes as the U.S. Department of Transportation has withheld $160 million in federal funding due to the state's delay in revoking the licenses.

Schiff said him and fellow Senate Democrats are working to allow immigrant drivers to retain their licenses.

"It was astounding to ask these people how any of you have more than 10 trucks sitting idle because the drivers who are afraid to show up," Schiff said. "That's a loss of economic opportunity, loss of jobs."

Schiff also expressed concern over reports that Department of Transportation officials are detaining drivers at roadside scales until ICE agents can verify their immigration status. "You know it does surprise me but maybe it shouldn't because there's this whole government effort to crackdown on immigrant communities in every way," Schiff said. "This just breeds suspicion and fear and so people don't show up for work and trucks sit idle and goods don't move so prices go up. It's not good for anybody."