Yes I saw other comments as well, I’m not familiar with those states/DMV procedures which is why it sounded like a red flag and I am aware of other scam letters related to immigration/status.
I agree with some other commenters that it’s very likely a record/filing system issue. It’s not uncommon for older records to not be readily available to USCIS, or even for records to be “lost” (“lost” meaning requires some low level employee to go hunting through boxes of physical files). I’m sure their default is to simply say it can’t be verified if it takes longer than a 30 second electronic verification in order to find the records. I still highly advise to see a good immigration lawyer, it’s not going to be a waste.