Executive Order 14224, titled Designating English as the Official Language of the United States, is an executive order signed by Donald Trump on March 1, 2025. It symbolically designates English as the official language of the United States, but does not attach any specific rights to that designation.
Changes to federal guidance on non-English accommodations
EO 14224 repeals Executive Order 13166, issued by President Bill Clinton in August 11, 2000. The Clinton order required agencies of the federal government to make plans to implement Department of Justice guidance ensuring people with limited English proficiency would have improved access to federal services on a non-discriminatory basis, to the degree needed and without an undue burden on the agencies. The Trump order instructed agency heads to make accommodations as they "deem necessary to fulfill their respective agencies' mission".
Legal authority
The U.S. Congress has never passed legislation declaring an official language at the federal level, and the U.S. Constitution does not specify an official language. Law professor Ofer Raban wrote that in the absence of a congressionally approved law, with this order the President "appears to rely on his constitutional authority (including his authority over federal executive agencies)".
See also
- English-only movement
- List of countries and territories where English is an official language
- List of executive orders in the second presidency of Donald Trump
- Official language
References
External links
- Full text of the executive order via whitehouse.gov
- Full text of the executive order in the Federal Register
