President Trump has signed an order to designate English as the official US language, the White House said on Saturday.
The executive order rescinds Clinton-era mandate, which requires federal funding to provide language assistance to English speakers, but agencies can maintain current policies and provide documentation and services in other languages.
This order was the biggest victory to date for the country's English-only movement, which has long been linked to efforts to limit bilingual education and reduce immigration to the United States. Over 30 states have already designated English as English.
Over three-quarters of Americans speak only English at home, but there are around 42 million Spanish speakers and 3 million Chinese speakers in the country.
“Establishing English as an official language will promote unity, establish efficiency in government operations and create a pathway for citizen involvement,” the White House document said.
Friday's report on planning orders was immediately cheered by people in line with Trump's “America First” movement.
“This is huge,” writes conservative political activist Charlie Kirk on social media. “In an age of mass immigration, we argue that English as an American is a message of national unity.”
However, the plan prompted backlash from immigration and Democratic leaders.
“Like dozens of other executive orders and actions taken, we'll have to look into whether what he's doing actually complies with the law and the US Constitution,” said New York president Hakeem Jeffries, a leader in the House minority. “And unless that's the case, I'm sure he'll be sued.”
United We Dream, a youth-led group, said the United We Dream had never designated an official language in its history.
“We mean this with all rudeness: there is no Gracius,” Annabelle Mendoza said, Group communications director. “We see exactly what Trump is trying to do by continuing to place targets on the backs of black people and brown immigrants and communities who speak different languages, but we don't tolerate that.”
News of the planned order also led to resistance from Puerto Rican American territory, where 94% of residents speak Spanish.
“The president's order to declare English as the only official language of the United States reflects a vision of an American identity that contradicts Puerto Rican identity,” said Pablo Jose Hernandez Rivera, a resident committee member in Puerto Rican and a member of the House of Representatives. “There is no nation without assimilation. Puerto Ricans will never abandon our identity.”
The President has long supported efforts to promote English-only practices in the United States. When he first sought presidency in 2015, he chuckled at rival Jeb Bush. He sometimes answered questions in Spanish.
“This is a country where we speak English rather than Spanish,” Trump said.
