(NewsNation) — President Donald Trump is expected to sign an executive order designating English as the official language of the United States, a White House official confirmed to NewsNation Friday.
It will rescind a mandate from the Clinton administration that required agencies and recipients of federal funding to provide language assistance to non-English speakers.
While the executive order allows agencies to keep current policies and provide services in other languages, it encourages new Americans to adopt English, the official said.
The news was first reported by The Wall Street Journal.
A fact sheet seen by NewsNation stated that some of the reasons cited by the Trump administration for the move include promoting unity, establishing efficiency in government operations and creating a pathway for civic engagement.
Around 180 countries have an official national language. The United States does not, but more than 30 states have passed their own laws making English their official language. About three-quarters, or 78.3%, of the population aged five and older spoke only English at home, according to the 2018-2022 American Community Survey.
From 2018-2022, 70% of those ages 5-17 surveyed said they spoke Spanish. Among these Spanish speakers, 79.8% said they spoke English “very well.”
