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The order will allow government agencies and organizations that
receive federal funding to choose whether to continue to offer
documents and services in language other than English, according
to a fact sheet about the impending order.
Trump had been expected to sign the order Friday. But by Friday
night, the White House had not announced the order had been
signed and did not immediately respond to a message seeking
comment.
The executive order will rescind a mandate from former President
Bill Clinton that required the government and organizations that
received federal funding to provide language assistance to
non-English speakers.
Designating English as the national language “promotes unity,
establishes efficiency in government operations, and creates a
pathway for civic engagement,” according to the White House.
More than 30 states have already passed laws designating English
as their official language, according to U.S. English, a group
that advocates for making English the official language in the
United States.
For decades, lawmakers in Congress have introduced legislation
to designate English as the official language of the U.S., but
those efforts have not succeeded.
Within hours of Trump's inauguration last month, the new
administration took down the Spanish language version of the
official White House website.
Hispanic advocacy groups and others expressed confusion and
frustration at the change. The White House said at the time it
was committed to bringing the Spanish language version of the
website back online. As of Friday, it was still not restored.
The White House did not immediately respond to a message about
whether that would happen.
Trump shut down the Spanish version of the website during his
first term. It was restored when President Joe Biden was
inaugurated.
The Wall Street Journal first reported on the order Friday.
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