President Donald Trump is set to sign an executive order on Friday making English the official language of the United States for the first time in the nation's history, according to a
White House official.
The order will overturn a directive issued by former President Bill Clinton in 2000, which required federal agencies and recipients of federal funding to provide language assistance to non-English speakers. The White House emphasized that this move aligns with Trump's broader efforts to tighten immigration policies during the early weeks of his second term.
Despite this change, federal agencies will still have discretion in offering services and documents in other languages. According to a summary of the order, "Agencies will have flexibility to decide how and when to offer services in languages other than English to best serve the American people and fulfill their agency mission."
A Push for National Unity
The White House argues that establishing English as the national language will promote unity and integration. "Having a common language fosters national cohesion, helps newcomers engage in communities and traditions, and enriches our shared culture," the administration stated. The order also aims to encourage immigrants to learn English, which the White House says will lead to "greater opportunities."
Currently, 32 states have already enacted laws recognizing English as their official language.
Immigration and Language Controversy
Trump has often been critical of the variety of languages spoken across the U.S., particularly in discussions about undocumented immigration. Last year, he expressed concern over the challenge of integrating non-English speakers, stating, “We have languages coming into our country that no one here has ever heard of. It’s a very horrible thing."
Since his second inauguration in January, the administration has taken steps to reduce government communication in Spanish. The White House quickly removed the Spanish-language version of its website and discontinued its Spanish-language social media account, @LaCasaBlanca.
With an estimated 350 to 430 languages spoken in the U.S., English remains the dominant language by far. However, this executive order marks a significant shift in federal policy, reinforcing Trump's stance on language and immigration in his second term. Photo by Gage Skidmore from Surprise, AZ, United States of America, Wikimedia commons.
