An executive order establishing English as the official language of the United States is expected to be signed, the White House has confirmed. President Donald Trump’s administration argues that formalizing English will foster national unity, streamline government operations, and encourage civic participation. The move would give government agencies and federally funded organizations the discretion to decide whether to continue offering documents and services in other languages.
The order was anticipated to be signed on Friday, but by the evening, no formal announcement had been made. The White House did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
If enacted, the order would overturn a directive issued by former President Bill Clinton, which mandated language assistance for non-English speakers in government services.
More than 30 states already recognize English as their official language, according to U.S. English, an organization advocating for the policy nationwide. However, previous congressional efforts to establish English as the national language have repeatedly failed.
The administration has previously taken steps reflecting this stance. Shortly after taking office last month, the White House removed its Spanish-language website, a decision that drew criticism from Hispanic advocacy groups. While the administration initially pledged to reinstate the site, it remained offline as of Friday.
This is not the first time policies have impacted multilingual government services. During Trump’s first term, the Spanish-language White House website was also removed, only to be reinstated under President Joe Biden.
The Wall Street Journal first reported the development on Friday.
Bd-pratidin English/ Jisan
