Justice Department Directs Agencies to Operate Solely in English Under Official-Language Order

The Department of Justice has published guidance directing executive agencies to “strive to operate solely in English” in implementation of President Trump’s executive order designating English as the official language of the United States. The memorandum, issued to agencies in September and made public in the Federal Register on November 12, states that “English is now the official language of the United States. Consequently, agencies should prioritize the English language over all other languages.”

Agencies are instructed to conduct official correspondence, draft regulations and policy statements, issue public notices, design forms and applications, maintain websites and digital services, produce outreach materials, and handle internal communications and training in English alone, except where multilingual assistance is required by statute or necessary to accomplish the agency’s mission. National security activities and certain health-care services are cited as examples of potential exceptions. When multilingual materials are provided, a disclaimer noting that English is the official language is recommended.

The guidance follows Trump’s March 2025 executive order, which rescinded a 2000 Clinton-era directive that had encouraged agencies to improve access for limited-English-proficient individuals. A DOJ spokesperson said the new memorandum is final and already in effect, even though a 60-day public comment period runs through January 11, 2027.

Several departments have already acted. The Department of Housing and Urban Development removed non-English languages from its services on August 17. The Departments of Homeland Security, Education, and Treasury have begun removing foreign-language materials from their websites. The General Services Administration recently shut down the Spanish-language version of USA.gov, which had operated since 2003, redirecting users to the English site.

Estimates cited in coverage indicate that more than 27 million people in the United States have limited English proficiency. The guidance does not require the immediate elimination of every existing translation but directs agencies to review and discontinue programs that are neither legally mandated nor mission-critical. The Civil Rights Division retains its role in voting-related language access required by statute.