DHS Warns Law Enforcement Across US Of Potential Trucker Protest Over COVID-19 Vaccine Mandates

DALLAS (CBSDFW.COM) - The U.S. Department of Homeland Security is warning law enforcement agencies across the country that a group of truckers are planning to protest COVID-19 vaccine mandates in Los Angeles this weekend and it could impact the Super Bowl.

The DHS also received reports of truck drivers planning to potentially block roads in other major U.S. cities, like what's being seen at the Canadian border.

The head of the Texas Trucking Association said he has not heard of any planned protests in Texas.

The biggest problem that we could see from this is even more supply chain disruptions.

Everett Smith has been in the trucking industry for 35 years and says many in his network are against vaccine mandates.

"It's not a good thing for me personally and everybody's got to make their own choice," he said.

"The drivers, much like a lot of folks in this country, aren't happy with the mandates or some of the things being requested or required of them," President of the Texas Trucking Association John Esparza said.

The Texas Trucking Association represents more than 1,000 truckers and industry workers.

The association and others, sued the Biden administration over its employer-based COVID-19 vaccine mandate.

Esparza said it's causing some to leave the trucking industry during a time where they're needed most.

Smith said the supply chain issues are getting worse by the day, he's constantly seeing empty shelves at grocery stores when he makes deliveries.

"If you got there a day early ever before they would tell you to turn around — and now you go into some places and they're like oh yeah come on in because they need it," he said.

"There's a significant driver shortage going on across this country and to compound that with a mandate only gets drivers thinking and other folks in this industry thinking this is not the industry for them," Esparza said. "We can't have that."