President Trump Set to Sign Executive Order Making English the Official U.S. Language

The United States President Donald Trump is set to sign an executive order making English the official language of the United States.

The Wall Street Journal first broke the news of the development on Friday, and later, the move was confirmed by a White House official speaking on background. The move marks the first instance in U.S. history in which English is to be declared officially as the national language federally.

The executive order will undo a Clinton administration policy that mandated federal agencies and government contractors to provide extensive language support to non-English speakers.

According to a fact sheet circulated to ABC News, the new order will provide agencies with greater latitude in determining how and when to offer multilingual services, rather than mandating full-fledged language support programs.

The White House has defended the initiative, noting that while the U.S. welcomes speakers of a few hundred languages, English is the most widely spoken language. Officials believe that declaring English as the official language will unify the country and make the government more effective.

“Declaring English as the official language brings us together, allows for more effective government, and encourages civic participation,” the White House stated in the document sent to ABC News.

The date of President Trump’s signing of the executive order is not specified.