WASHINGTON: President Donald Trump is set to make English the official language of the United States in a bid to bring “cohesion” to a country characterized by immigration from all over the world, according to a White House document seen Friday (Feb 28).
“It is long past time English is recognized as the official language of the United States,” the document, provided by an official on condition of anonymity, said.
Trump’s executive order “affirms that a common language fosters national cohesion”.
The order will overturn a presidential mandate from the 1990s under then president Bill Clinton requiring federal agencies and agencies receiving federal funding to provide assistance to non-English speakers.
According to the new document, agencies will still have “flexibility” to decide how much help to offer in languages other than English.
