The Department of Justice announced Monday that it will review its services and determine which can be done only in English.
This shift to more English-only services comes months after President Donald Trump signed an executive order designating English as the official language of the United States. It undid former President Bill Clinton’s executive order, which expanded services for those with “limited English proficiency.”
Per a memo from Attorney General Pam Bondi, the department will explore using artificial intelligence for translation services as one of “cost-effective methods for bridging language barriers and reducing inefficiencies with the translation process.”
“As President Trump has made clear, English is the official language of the United States,” Bondi said. “The Department of Justice will lead the effort to codify the President’s Executive Order and eliminate wasteful virtue-signaling policies across government agencies to promote assimilation over division.”
The funds saved by translation services over hiring speakers of other languages will go toward “research and programs that improve English proficiency and assimilation,” per the memo. However, some non-English services are likely to remain.
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“If a federal agency deems a multilingual service to be mission critical, such information should be translated accurately and include a clear note that English is the official language and authoritative version of all federal information,” the memo reads.
This memo follows a directive from the Department of Transportation requiring English fluency for commercial truck drivers. Trump had ordered the protocol in a separate executive order directed toward that profession.