Trump signs executive order designating English official US language
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Trump's executive order allows government agencies and organizations to choose resuming the provision of documents in languages other than English
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President Donald Trump speaks to reporters before departing on the South Lawn of the White House, on Friday, February 28, 2025, in Washington. (AP)
US President Donald Trump has signed an executive order on Sunday designating English as the official language of the United States, allowing government agencies and organizations that receive federal funding to choose whether or not to continue providing documents and services in languages other than English.
The executive order rescinds a mandate from former President Bill Clinton's term, which required the government and organizations that receive federal funding to provide language assistance to non-English speakers.
“Establishing English as the official language will not only streamline communication but also reinforce shared national values, and create a more cohesive and efficient society,” the order states, adding that “Speaking English not only opens doors economically, but it helps newcomers engage in their communities, participate in national traditions, and give back to our society.”
The Trump administration previously shut down the Spanish-language version of the White House website, and despite promising to reactivate it, it remains offline in a move reminiscent of Trump's first term, when the Spanish version of the website remained offline until former President Biden took office.
This comes amid a wide crackdown on illegal immigrants in the US.
Trump reopens immigration detention center
The Trump administration announced plans on February 28 to reopen a large immigration detention facility in Newark, just miles from Manhattan, to significantly expand migrant detention capacity in the Northeast, The New York Times reported.
The privately operated Delaney Hall, located near Newark Liberty International Airport, will hold up to 1,000 detainees, placing New Jersey and New York—both historically pro-immigrant—at the center of the administration’s heightened deportation efforts.
The decision to reopen the center comes as ICE operations target immigrants in the states of New Jersey and New York, with ICE officials emphasizing that the proximity of the detention center to the airport will expedite separation procedures.
This decision comes amid Trump's crackdown on illegal immigration, an integral part of his presidential campaign for both his first and second terms.
His administration has sacked 20 immigration judges on February 16, according to Matthew Biggspresident of the International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers, who said that 13 judges who had not yet been sworn in and five assistant chief immigration judges were fired on Friday without notice.
Following his inauguration on January 20, Trump signed an executive order on January 23 ordering a halt of illegal immigration from the southern border, directing the Department of Homeland Security, the Department of Justice, and the Department of State to take immediate action to "repel, repatriate, and remove illegal aliens" attempting to cross into the US through its southern border.
