Trump Administration Moves to Make Federal Agencies English-Only Under Sweeping New Directive
President Trump’s administration is taking another major step toward establishing English as the primary language of federal government operations, directing agencies to eliminate unnecessary foreign-language services and prioritize English across official communications.
The Department of Justice issued new guidance Thursday encouraging federal agencies to conduct government business exclusively in English unless translations are legally required or necessary to fulfill essential responsibilities.
The directive expands on President Trump’s March 2025 executive order designating English as the official language of the United States, a move intended to promote national unity, improve government efficiency, and encourage immigrants to learn English.
Under the new guidance, federal agencies are encouraged to use English exclusively for official correspondence, regulations, public announcements, applications, government websites, educational materials, internal communications, and digital services.
The Justice Department made its expectations clear, declaring that federal agencies should work toward operating entirely in English wherever legally permissible.
Agencies are now being instructed to review their multilingual programs and eliminate translation services that are neither required by law nor necessary for their operations.
The administration has already begun implementing significant changes across several federal departments.
The Department of Housing and Urban Development removed non-English languages from its departmental services in August. The Departments of Homeland Security, Education, and Treasury have also started removing foreign-language materials from their websites.
The General Services Administration recently shut down the Spanish-language version of USA.gov, redirecting visitors to the English-language government portal. The Spanish-language website had operated since 2003.
The policy reverses the direction of a Clinton-era executive order from 2000 that instructed federal agencies to improve access to government programs for individuals with limited English proficiency.
President Trump revoked that order in March 2025, arguing that a common national language would strengthen American identity and create greater consistency across federal operations.
The new guidance does not eliminate every translation service. Federal agencies may continue providing multilingual assistance when required by law or necessary for national security, immigration enforcement, emergency response, public safety, health care, or other essential functions.
Officials are also encouraged to consider automated translation technology when foreign-language communication is necessary, with the goal of reducing administrative costs.
The changes could affect more than 27 million people living in the United States who have limited English proficiency, according to estimates cited in reporting on the directive.
Some civil rights advocates have raised concerns that reducing language assistance could make it more difficult for certain individuals to access government services, report crimes, or comply with federal requirements.
The administration maintains that prioritizing English will streamline government operations while preserving legally required language assistance.
The Justice Department published the guidance in the Federal Register on November 12 and opened a public comment period running through January 11, 2027.
The directive represents another step in President Trump’s effort to establish English as the common language of federal government operations, replacing decades of policies that expanded multilingual services across Washington.