President Donald Trump is preparing to sign an executive order that will declare English as the official language of the United States, as confirmed by the White House. This order will allow government agencies and federally funded organisations to decide if they will continue to provide services and documents in languages other than English.
Although Trump was anticipated to sign the order soon, an official announcement had yet to be made by Friday night, and the White House did not respond to inquiries regarding the status of the signing. The expected order will override a directive from former President Bill Clinton, which mandated federal agencies and entities receiving federal funds to offer language assistance for non-English speakers.
The White House asserts that establishing English as the official language promotes national unity, enhances efficiency within government operations, and facilitates civic participation. More than 30 U.S. states have already enacted laws recognising English as their official language, according to US English, an advocacy group supporting this initiative.
Efforts to legislate English as the official language at the federal level have been ongoing for decades, yet previous attempts have been unsuccessful. Shortly after his inauguration, the Trump administration removed the Spanish version of the official White House website, causing confusion and frustration among Hispanic advocacy groups. The administration indicated a commitment to restoring the Spanish version, but as of Friday, it remained offline.
During Trump’s first term, the Spanish website was disabled but was later reinstated when President Joe Biden took office. The White House has not provided any updates regarding the potential return of the Spanish website.