President Donald Trump is reportedly set to sign an executive order, designating English as the official language of the United States.
White House officials stated that the order aims to improve government efficiency and promote national unity, BBC reports.
Along with this move, Trump plans to eliminate the requirement for federal agencies to provide language services to non-English speakers, a policy originally enacted in 2000 by President Bill Clinton.
Meanwhile, people seeking U.S. citizenship must pass an English test, showing they can read, write, and speak basic English, NBC News reports, citing U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.
Currently, nearly 68 million of the United States’ 340 million residents speak a language other than English, including over 160 Native American languages, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.
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Trump’s executive order will roll back the provisions ensuring that government programs are accessible to people with limited English proficiency, though agencies will still be able to provide language access voluntarily.
While Republicans have long pushed for English to be declared the official language, opposition remains strong.
Critics argue that doing so could foster discrimination against non-English speakers and harm the nation’s multicultural fabric.
Many also point out that the U.S. has functioned without an official language for nearly 250 years since its founding.
During his presidential campaigns, Trump has frequently made strong statements about non-English languages, emphasizing the importance of English for national unity, BBC adds.
The U.S. joins other nations in the debate over whether a single official language should be designated, though many countries, like the UK, have no official language at all.
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