In a landmark move marking the first federal designation of an official language in U.S. history, President Donald Trump signed an executive order on March 1, 2025, declaring English the official language of the United States. The order, titled Designating English as the Official Language of the United States, revokes a 25-year-old policy mandating language assistance for non-English speakers while framing the change as a means to strengthen national unity and streamline government operations.
The executive order overturns Executive Order 13166, signed by President Bill Clinton in 2000, which required federal agencies and federally funded organizations to provide translations and services for individuals with limited English proficiency (LEP).
Clinton signed Executive Order 13166, Improving Access to Services for Persons with Limited English Proficiency, on August 11, 2000, as part of a broader civil rights initiative to address systemic barriers faced by non-English speakers in accessing federally funded programs. The order emerged from decades of legal ambiguity about language rights under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and sought to formalize obligations for federal agencies and recipients of federal funding to accommodate linguistic diversity.
Under Trump’s directive, agencies retain the flexibility to offer multilingual services but are no longer obligated to do so.
The administration argues that eliminating this requirement will reduce bureaucratic costs and encourage immigrants to adopt English as a pathway to economic and civic integration. Critics, including Democratic leaders and immigration advocates, condemned the order as a symbolic attack on linguistic diversity. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) questioned its legality, suggesting potential court challenges.
Legal scholars note that the order conflicts with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act, which prohibits discrimination based on national origin in federally funded programs.
Title VI of the Civil Rights Act prohibits discrimination based on race, color, or national origin in federally funded programs. However, prior to 2000, courts and agencies inconsistently interpreted whether language barriers constituted national origin discrimination.
For example, in Lau v. Nichols (1974), the Supreme Court ruled that San Francisco schools violated Title VI by failing to provide English-language instruction to Chinese-speaking students, establishing that language access was integral to equal opportunity. Despite this precedent, federal enforcement remained fragmented.
By the late 1990s, over 18 million U.S. residents—7% of the population—were classified as Limited English Proficient (LEP), with Spanish, Chinese, and Vietnamese speakers disproportionately affected by gaps in healthcare, education, and legal services. A 1999 General Accounting Office report found that 80% of federal agencies lacked clear guidelines for serving LEP individuals, prompting calls for standardized policies
Advocacy groups warn that reduced language access within federal government could disenfranchise LEP individuals in voting, medical care, and legal proceedings. Meanwhile, public schools with bilingual programs face uncertainty, as the order signals federal disinterest in supporting multilingual education.
The U.S., founded in 1776, had never previously designated an official language at the federal level, though over 30 states have enacted similar laws. Census data reveals that approximately 68 million residents—20% of the population—speak languages other than English at home, including Spanish, Chinese, Tagalog, Vietnamese, and over 160 Native American dialects.
Although this order only has authority over the function of the federal government, not what language people can speak, the White House emphasized English’s historical role in U.S. governance, noting that foundational documents like the Constitution and Declaration of Independence were drafted in English. Still, the absence of a federal language reflected the Founders’ intent to avoid marginalizing non-English colonists, including German and Dutch settlers, according to scholars.
