WASHINGTON — The Department of Justice on Monday released formal guidance for federal agencies to comply with President Trump’s Executive Order No. 14224, which declares English as the official language of the United States.
The new directive tasks federal departments with reducing non-essential multilingual services, prioritizing English-language education, and aligning their operations with the requirements of the order. The DOJ will oversee a government-wide initiative to eliminate programs that are deemed inconsistent with the executive mandate.
“As President Trump has made clear, English is the official language of the United States,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “The Department of Justice will lead the effort to codify the President’s Executive Order and eliminate wasteful virtue-signaling policies across government agencies to promote assimilation over division.”
The Executive Order repeals President Clinton’s 2000 Executive Order No. 13,166, which required federal agencies to enhance access for individuals with limited English proficiency. DOJ officials said the rescinded policy had strained government resources and complicated assimilation efforts.
Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon said the shift aims to unify federal services and promote efficiency. “President Trump’s Executive Order marks a pivotal step toward unifying our nation through a common language and enhancing efficiency in federal operations,” she said. “The Department of Justice ensures that while we respect linguistic diversity, our federal resources will prioritize English proficiency to empower new Americans and strengthen civic unity.”
The DOJ’s guidance calls on federal agencies to:
- Review and rescind previous guidance tied to Executive Order 13,166 if not legally mandated
- Consider limiting services to English-only where permitted by law
- Use artificial intelligence and machine translation to reduce manual translation costs
- Label translated materials with disclaimers stating English is the official language
- Redirect savings from reduced translation efforts to English education programs
While federal agencies are not required to eliminate all multilingual services, they are urged to prioritize English in public-facing programs and documentation. Agencies are also encouraged to include clear disclaimers in non-English materials to indicate that English is the official and authoritative language of federal communications.
The Department of Justice stated the move is intended to reduce administrative burdens and improve access to federal services by promoting English language assimilation.
This latest guidance reflects a broader initiative by the administration to realign federal policy with the directives of Executive Order No. 14224.
The new DOJ guidance marks a sweeping shift in federal language policy following the revocation of Clinton-era protections.
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