President Trump is expected to sign an executive order to make English the official language of the United States, rescinding policies that require federal agencies to provide language assistance for non-English speakers.
The order encourages “new Americans to adopt a national language that opens doors to greater opportunities,” but also allows agencies to keep their own policies and documents in other languages if they see fit.
“Agencies will have flexibility to decide how and when to offer services in languages other than English to best serve the American people and fulfill their agency mission,” according to a fact sheet on the order.
The order argues that making English the official language will unify the U.S., saying that about 180 countries have an official language and that while over 350 languages are spoken in the U.S., English is the most widely used.
And, it says the order “celebrates multilingual Americans who have learned English and passed it down.”
The order rescinds a 2000 executive order from former President Clinton that aimed “to improve access to federally conducted and federally assisted programs and activities” for people who are limited in their proficiency of English because they emigrated from another country.
The fact sheet released on Friday said that Trump “affirms that a common language fosters national cohesion, helps newcomers engage in communities and traditions, and enriches our shared culture” with the order.
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