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This report states that President Donald Trump signed an executive order declaring English the official language of the United States.
The order lets government agencies and federally funded organizations decide if they want to continue offering services in other languages. It also reverses a previous rule by President Bill Clinton that required language assistance for non-English speakers.
Up to now, many government publications have also come in Spanish versions, for example the Medicare handbook, medication and vaccination guides, application forms for children’s health insurance.
The order signed by President Trump claims that making English the official language will improve communication, strengthen national unity, and help immigrants succeed in the U.S. It also suggests that learning English will help newcomers participate in society and benefit economically.
This executive order will almost certainly face legal challenges and likely be struck down by the courts due to the fact that under previous interpretations of the Constitution of the USA, only Congress can make laws. However it is possible that Congress will now pursue legislation to validate the executive order.
Over 30 of the constituent states of the US do already have laws on the books recognizing English as their official language. However, past attempts in Congress to establish English as the national language at a federal level have failed.
After Trump’s inauguration, his administration removed the Spanish-language version of the White House website. Though officials promised to restore it, it remained offline for a long time. The website was brought back under President Joe Biden in 2021.
England does not have an official language, although English is the de facto language of government, however Welsh is the joint official language in Wales.
The country with the most official languages is Bolivia, which recognizes 37 official languages in its constitution. These include Spanish and 36 Indigenous languages such as Quechua, Aymara, and Guaraní.
The state of Alaska within the USA recognizes 20 Native languages as official languages of the state (along with English). This includes Inupiaq, Tlingit, and Yupik, among others.
Sources: Associated Press, OpenAI, various.
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