The Department of Justice (DOJ) has told federal agencies to prioritize English over other languages, according to a memo published in the Federal Register on Thursday.
“Though not officially designated in the past, English has been our common language since before this Nation’s founding,” the memo says.
“This fact is reflected in our Nation’s governing documents, history and tradition, and daily interactions. Our shared national language has played an indispensable role in forming a cohesive society and ensuring consistency across government operations.”
It cited a directive issued by President Donald Trump in March 2025 that sought to designate English as the official language of the United States.
“To promote unity, cultivate a shared American culture for all citizens, ensure consistency in government operations, and create a pathway to civic engagement, it is in America’s best interest for the Federal Government to designate one—and only one—official language,” the directive states.
The DOJ memo said that government agencies shouldn’t provide assistance in languages other than English unless necessary or legally required.
Otherwise, it added, the English version of any agency communication should be considered the “authoritative version.”
The memo further said that new technology allows agencies to permit cost-effective translation methods. The Department of Homeland Security and Environmental Protection Agency, according to the DOJ, have been looking into and testing programs to allow for communication with people with limited English ability, it added.
“The Department encourages other agencies to consider the use of superintelligence and machine translation to communicate with individuals who may have limited English proficiency,” the memo stated, using the government’s term to describe artificial intelligence, or AI.
The order issued by Trump last year rescinded a mandate that was established under President Bill Clinton that required the government and organizations that received federal funding to provide language assistance to non-English speakers.
Currently, there are more than 350 languages spoken in the United States, according to U.S. Census Bureau data. The most widely spoken languages other than English are Spanish, Chinese, Tagalog, Vietnamese, and Arabic.
People in the United States also speak Native North American languages such as Navajo, Yupik, Dakota, Apache, Keres, and Cherokee, among others. In Nevada, there are four Native languages recognized by tribes: Northern Paiute, Southern Paiute, Washoe, and Western Shoshone.
Before Trump’s order was issued, some advocacy groups were critical of the move.
Anabel Mendoza, the communications director for United We Dream, a nonprofit immigrant advocacy organization, said in a February 2025 statement that the order would be used “as a crutch to attack schools providing curriculum to immigrant students in other languages, gut programs and roles that help to promote inclusive language access, and embolden immigration agents to single out and harass individuals who speak a certain way.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
We had a problem loading this article. Please enable javascript or use a different browser. If the issue persists, please visit our help center.