English-Only in the USA? President Trump’s New Executive Order Explained

My family moved to the United States from the Dominican Republic when I was ten years old. We all worked hard to learn English. In fact, my mother insisted that we ONLY speak English at home. “We live in America now,” she would remind us. “We don’t speak Spanish here.” At the time, it made me feel sad. I missed speaking Spanish with my family.

But now I’m glad my mother made that decision. I was able to speak English fluently by the time I started high school. This meant I could take more challenging classes. This, in turn, helped me get into a good university.

I know so many immigrants who get stuck in low-paying jobs because they are unable to speak English well. Besides, how can people communicate if everyone is speaking a different language? How can businesses or the government get anything done? It’s too confusing! So I think it’s a good idea to make English the national language of the United States.

—Adela

I was just six years old when my family came to the United States from Romania. I didn’t speak a word of English when I started school! But looking back, I learned fairly quickly thanks to a special program at school.

It was different for my older brother—it’s harder to learn a new language when you’re a teenager. And my parents REALLY struggled! Twenty-five years later, they still speak English with heavy accents and they need help with certain reading and writing tasks.

Now that English is the official language of the United States, I’m afraid that immigrants will no longer have access to the kinds of programs that have helped my family over the years. Most immigrants are doing their best to learn English, but it’s HARD. Some people—like my parents—will always need help because they started learning English when they were older. Their brains just aren’t wired the same as a child’s.
—Alexandru

On March 1, 2025, President Donald Trump issued an executive order designating English as the official language of the United States. You can read the full executive order here.

Trump’s declaration reverses a 2000 executive order signed by President Bill Clinton that required federal agencies and federally funded organizations to provide language assistance (translations, interpreters, and multilingual materials) to residents with limited English proficiency.

Although the Clinton-era mandates are no longer in place, government agencies are still allowed to offer materials and assistance in languages other than English. It is up to the head of each government agency to decide what is appropriate for their particular agency.

“Wait a minute…You’re saying that English wasn’t already the official language of the U.S.?”

Prior to this executive order, the United States did not have an official language, even though English has been the de facto language for government and civic life throughout the nation’s 249-year history. Over the years, however, individual states have formally designated English as their official language. The state of Hawaii recognizes two official languages, English and Hawaiian. In the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, which is a U.S. territory, both Spanish and English are designated as official languages.

Currently, nearly 80 percent of U.S. residents over the age of five speak English at home. At the same time, nearly 14 percent of the country’s population is foreign born and over 350 different languages are spoken in homes across the United States.

Public opinion on Trump’s English-only executive order is mixed, as illustrated by Adela and Alexandru’s stories. Some Americans believe that adopting English as the country’s official language will promote national unity and improve efficiency. It is also expected to save money. Others believe that English-only policies will stigmatize immigrants and infringe on their civil rights.

How will this new English-only executive order affect U.S. residents who don’t speak English well?

At this point, it’s hard to predict how Trump’s executive order will affect ordinary people living in the U.S. who need English language assistance. Since individual government agencies are still allowed to offer documents and services in other languages, some programs might continue to be available. Other forms of assistance might be available in theory, but they will no longer be funded. It’s also possible that Trump’s executive order will be challenged—and overturned—by Congress or in court.

However, if the government does withdraw all materials and services in other languages, this means non-English speaking U.S. residents might be unable to access the following:

• Translators and interpreters at federal agencies
• Healthcare information from the government in languages other than English
• Options to use languages other than English when contacting federally funded agencies over the phone
• Bilingual education programs
• Language assistance with legal matters or court cases
• Language assistance with social security or federal tax forms
• Voting materials or ballots in languages other than English

As of this writing, it is too early to tell how much of the above will actually come to pass. These are just some of the possibilities.

It is worth noting that this president—or a future one—can rescind an executive order at any time. Will English still be the official language of the U.S. in six months? Or a year? Or in five years? No one knows.

Will businesses and non-government entities be affected?

Under the previous Clinton-era executive order, hospitals, schools, and nonprofits that receive federal funds were required to provide translators, interpreters, and documents in other languages. While this is no longer the case, these services might continue to be offered.

Advocacy organizations serving Spanish-speaking, Chinese-speaking, Arabic-speaking, and Indigenous communities have already ramped up their efforts to inform people that many services in their native language will still be available, even if they are no longer federally mandated. Keep in mind, Trump’s executive order does not fine or penalize anyone for using other languages; it simply states that English is the official language for government. Also, many multilingual services at the state and city levels are expected to continue, especially if they are required by state laws or driven by market demand​s.

For private businesses and organizations that do not depend on federal funds, changes and disruptions are much less likely. Indeed, in immigrant and Indigenous communities across America, it is necessary for business owners and civic leaders to communicate with residents in their native languages. We can still expect to see signs, menus, newspapers, advertisements, and community announcements written in Spanish, Arabic, Chinese, Hindi, Tagalog, Russian, Vietnamese, and a multitude of other languages.

However, businesses that contract with the federal government or serve federal beneficiaries might be watching closely. They now have the latitude to provide English-only materials without risking compliance issues or penalties. For example, an insurance company that works with Medicare/Medicaid recipients might choose to offer fewer non-English documents now that the Clinton-era mandates have been revoked​.

How TextRanch can help

As Alexandru pointed out in his story, it can take many years for someone to learn a new language, especially adults. Even immigrants who can speak English pretty well may still need assistance with certain reading and writing tasks, especially if they have to write something lengthy or fill out crucial, complicated forms.

Adjusting to the new executive order will undoubtedly be challenging, especially for immigrants who are still struggling with their English skills. While the long-term impact of the Trump policy remains uncertain, one thing is clear—strong English communication is more important than ever for work, education, and daily life in the U.S.

If you’re looking for support with English writing tasks, our TextRanch team is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. We understand the challenges non-native speakers face. Although all of our editors are native English speakers, the company was founded by two immigrants from Italy!

Here are the proofreading and editing services we offer:

• Instant Sentence Checker: This is a free automated tool that’s ideal for those times when you’re trying to choose between two phrases and you’re not sure which one is right.
• Quick Text: We offer two services here—Basic and Advanced editing. At the Basic level, our editors check your emails, social media posts, English practice sentences, and other shorter texts for spelling and grammatical errors. Our editors also make light stylistic improvements if you choose Advanced editing.
• Document Editing: If you need a professional editor to carefully go over your business reports, resumes/CVs, academic papers, and other important documents and provide you with constructive feedback, then our Document Editing service is a good fit for you.
• Ask an Editor: Our Ask an Editor service can help you understand why certain words or phrases are correct while others are not. This service is also great if you need a native speaker to explain idioms or some of the more quirky aspects of the English language.

At TextRanch, we are committed to helping you express yourself clearly and professionally. No matter what changes may come in the future, you don’t have to navigate them alone.