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Throughout its history, the United States never had an official language. That is, until President Trump signed an executive order last month, making it English. It's a broad designation, but immigrant advocates worry that the order could cause real harm. NPR's Elena Moore reports.
ELENA MOORE, BYLINE: On the surface, Trump's order wouldn't appear to change much. English was already the official language in 30 states, and most Americans speak it. But this order goes a step further than what states have done.
JACOB HOFSTETTER: Declaring English the official language of the country is definitely a symbolic act. However, there are very concrete and what will be very tangible changes to federal language access policy.
MOORE: Jacob Hofstetter is with the Migration Policy Institute, a nonpartisan think tank. He says Trump's order rescinded a Clinton-era measure requiring federal agencies to make their services accessible for people with limited English proficiency. That could mean providing interpreter services and translation support as folks navigate the court system, apply for Social Security or access public health information. That said, Trump's order lifts requirements, but it doesn't automatically force changes at federal agencies.
HOFSTETTER: It really remains to be seen, the extent to which agencies will use the newfound leeway they have to provide less assistance.
MOORE: So the question is, will they? Advocates are worried.
MARITA ETCUBANEZ: It definitely is sending the message that federal agencies and others no longer have to provide language assistance.
MOORE: Marita Etcubanez is with the group Asian Americans Advancing Justice.
ETCUBANEZ: I think we can expect that they will follow the guidance of the president, so it might not be immediate, but I don't think we should wait around and see.
MOORE: Advocates have already noticed small changes, pointing out that multiple agencies have trimmed or removed some of their language accessibility policies from their websites. But it's unclear what that means for current services.
BEN KARL: We kind of feel like we're in this holding pattern where we're holding our breath.
MOORE: Ben Karl is a spokesperson for the American Translators Association. He worries this larger order may tarnish some of the country's multilingual history.
KARL: Folks who don't speak English well are a vital part of the fabric of American society, and we fear that they will feel less included because of this.
MOORE: To the White House, this order isn't about exclusion. Trump's deputy chief of staff, Stephen Miller, told Fox News that having an official language increases unity.
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STEPHEN MILLER: It promotes integration. It promotes national identity - two words we shouldn't be ashamed of.
MOORE: The new order comes as the Trump administration carries out a hardline immigration policy centered around reducing illegal immigration. Trump has vowed to carry out mass deportations. He's also said he'll end birthright citizenship for children born in the U.S. to parents without legal status - a right explicitly enshrined in the U.S. Constitution. Critics of his immigration policy argue that the English language order is part of that broader agenda. But as Kate Menken, a professor at Queens College CUNY points out, attitudes around language policy have a history of being in flux.
KATE MENKEN: I think of language policy in the U.S. kind of like a pendulum swinging between these opposing ends of restriction and tolerance.
MOORE: She says the politics of immigration could help decide which direction that pendulum swings next. Elena Moore, NPR News.
(SOUNDBITE OF ADRIAN YOUNGE AND ALI SHAHEED MUHAMMAD'S "VISIONS") Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
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