It's my understanding that the federal government allowed the individuals to receive a work permit which in turn allowed them to obtain a CDL in accordance with California law at the time of initial issuance.

As usual your understanding can't read the article to learn anything

According to Duffy, the exposure came after an audit by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) found systemic violations in California's licensing process " violations that allowed non-domiciled, and in many cases undocumented, individuals to obtain credentials to operate heavy commercial vehicles, including semitrucks and school buses.
~ FTA

But the biggest difference here is that California admitted to its error and corrected it.

Seems like CA/Newsom actually lied to you, in an attempt to cover up misdeeds, and you bought the lie and spread it like the virus you are.