On Saturday, President Donald Trump declared English the official language of the United States, stating that the move would promote unity in a nation shaped by global immigration.
The White House released an executive order in which Trump asserted that it is “long past time” for English to be formally recognized as the country’s official language.
“A nationally designated language is at the core of a unified and cohesive society, and the United States is strengthened by a citizenry that can freely exchange ideas in one shared language,” the document states.
The order overturns a directive from the 1990s, issued during President Bill Clinton’s administration, which required federal agencies and federally funded organizations to assist non-English speakers.
Under the new policy, agencies will retain the flexibility to determine the extent of language support they provide in languages other than English.
“Nothing in this order… requires or directs any change in the services provided by any agency,” the executive order states.
It adds that agency heads are empowered to determine what is necessary “to fulfill their respective agencies’ mission and efficiently provide Government services to the American people.”
In his first weeks in office, Trump has issued a flurry of executive orders, aiming to imprint his right-wing agenda on the nation.
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However, many of these orders are facing legal challenges, particularly those attempting to revoke federal funding authorized by Congress.
While the White House acknowledges that over 350 languages are spoken across the United States, the executive order asserts that English has been the nation’s language “since the founding of our Republic.”
It also emphasizes that key historical documents, including the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution, were written in English.
According to 2019 U.S. government data, nearly 68 million people speak a language other than English at home. Spanish is the most widely spoken among them, with over 40 million speakers. Other immigrant languages, such as Chinese and Vietnamese, contribute to the country’s linguistic diversity, alongside numerous Native American languages.
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