US Language Industry Associations React to Trump’s Executive Order on Language

A coalition of six US professional translation and interpreting associations issued a Joint Statement (PDF) “on the Trump Administration’s Executive Order 14224 Designating English as the Official Language of the United States and Revoking Executive Order 13166.” 

The statement was issued by the American Translators Association (ATA), the American Association of Interpreters and Translators in Education (AAITE), the Association of Language Companies (ALC), the Certification Commission for Healthcare Interpreters (CCHI), the National Association of Judiciary Interpreters and Translators (NAJIT), and the Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf (RID).

The associations, representing close to 28,000 professionals, express strong opposition to Executive Order (EO) 14224, which designates English as the official language of the US and revokes EO 13166. The latter had since 2000 set forth guidelines for adequate language access programs across the country.

They argue that revoking EO 13166 jeopardizes access to essential services for individuals with limited English proficiency (LEP) and that lack of language access can lead to severe consequences, such as delayed medical diagnosis or wrongful convictions resulting from inadequate interpretation.

The statement also highlights the importance of linguistic diversity and the critical role of translation and interpreting services in healthcare, the legal system, education, and the economy.

Additionally, the associations emphasize the economic contributions of LEP individuals as “essential workers, small business owners, entrepreneurs, taxpayers, and community members,” and cite the benefits of language access in fostering economic growth and innovation.

Urging continued advocacy and support for language justice, they call on the Trump administration to rescind the new EO, reaffirm EO 13166, and strengthen language access protections.