President Donald Trump is set to issue an executive order making English the official language of the United States, according to reports. The U.S. has never implemented a national language at the federal level.
In August 2000, five months before he left office, President Bill Clinton issued an executive order to aid what he called “limited English proficiency” (LEP) persons, writing, “To assist the agencies with this endeavor, the Department of Justice has today issued a general guidance document (LEP Guidance).”
The Department of Justice’s Coordination Regulation corresponding to Clinton’s executive order stated, “Where a significant number or proportion of the population eligible to be served or likely to be directly affected by a federally assisted program (e.g., affected by relocation) needs service or information in a language other than English in order effectively…
