US President Donald Trump officially designated English as the national language of the United States, claiming the move will unite the country shaped by immigration.
In an executive order published on Saturday, Trump declared that it was “long past time” for the nation to formally recognise English as its 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 order read.
The directive overturned a presidential mandate introduced in the 1990s under then-President Bill Clinton, which required federal agencies and organisations receiving government funding to provide assistance to non-English speakers. However, the new order allows agencies discretion over how much multilingual support they offer.
“Nothing in this order… requires or directs any change in the services provided by any agency,” the document said, adding that department heads will decide what is necessary “to fulfil their respective agencies’ mission and efficiently provide Government services to the American people.”
Since he took to office, Trump has issued a series of executive orders during his time in office. However, many of his directives faced legal challenges, particularly those affecting federal funding.
The White House acknowledged that over 350 languages are spoken across the United States but argued that English has been the language “from the founding of our Republic,” The order further noted that key historical documents, including the Declaration of Independence and the US Constitution, were written in English.
According to government data from 2019, nearly 68 million people in the United States speak a language other than English at home. While English remains dominant, more than 40 million Americans are estimated to speak Spanish domestically.
The country’s diverse linguistic landscape also includes Chinese, Vietnamese, and numerous Native American languages.