Trump administration rescinds guidance for English learners in schools

A federal directive is reshaping how schools serve students who are learning English. President Donald Trump’s executive order declaring English the nation’s official language has prompted two federal agencies to withdraw long-standing guidance for public schools. 

The guidance, previously used to help schools support English learners, has been rescinded. More than 5 million students in U.S. public schools are currently classified as English learners.

Guidance rescinded, oversight reduced

The Justice and Education departments have shifted course on how schools accommodate English learners. In 2015, federal civil rights officials reminded schools of their legal duty to ensure students could fully take part in class by removing language barriers. That guidance, rooted in Supreme Court rulings and congressional mandates, has been rescinded under the Trump administration.

Julie Sugarman, associate director for K-12 education research at the Migration Policy Institute, told SAN the guidance was never codified into law but served as a marker of how federal agencies evaluated schools’ compliance with civil rights protections. 

“I think there’s going to be states that continue to press forward and use an equity focus to develop policies and practices. And then there’s states that are going to say, you know, we really feel like we’re being allowed, you know, to not provide these services,” Sugarman said. 

She noted that the Trump administration had already signaled little interest in pursuing civil rights violations tied to English learners, so removing the guidance may not change enforcement but does send a clear message that federal oversight in this area is unlikely.

Schools that haven’t focused on supporting English learners may feel empowered to scale back services. She added that schools committed to best practices and student success are likely to continue supporting English learners despite the changes.

Trump administration outlines policy changes

On March 1, Trump’s order declaring English as the nation’s official language argued that a shared dialect is essential for national unity and civic engagement, while also helping new Americans succeed economically and socially. 

It revokes a Clinton-era order that had expanded translation and interpretation services for people with limited English proficiency. Agencies are not required to eliminate materials already offered in other languages. The Justice Department has also been directed to withdraw prior guidance tied to the old policy.

“We have been hearing that some places have sort of started to dismantle their programs, or, you know, reassign teachers,” said Sugarman. 

After Trump’s executive order declaring English the nation’s official language, the Justice Department issued a memo outlining how it would carry out the policy. The department said it would withdraw prior guidance that had required agencies to expand access for people with limited English skills, suspend public-facing language access resources like LEP.gov and begin phasing out multilingual materials deemed “unnecessary.”

The DOJ also announced it would review all translation and interpretation services across the department, redirect some funding toward English language instruction and assimilation programs, and issue new government-wide guidelines within six months. Other agencies were encouraged to follow suit by scaling back multilingual services where possible, considering English-only programs and including disclaimers making clear that English is the authoritative version of federal documents.

Legal justification from federal officials

Trump and his administration, including U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi, pointed to federal civil rights law and the Constitution’s Equal Protection Clause as their legal basis. They argued that scaling back resources for English learners does not amount to discrimination, but rather applies the same standard to everyone.

“The foundational principle of, you know, equity in American education has always been to provide every child what they individually need,” said Sugarman. “We know that students with particular profiles, like English learner or low income or whatever the other groups are, have enough of similarities that we develop programs around those.”

Impact across other federal agencies

The administration’s move is already being seen across the federal government. HUD will now provide services and communications exclusively in English, according to a memo from Deputy Secretary Andrew Hughes. Previously, HUD offered services in more than 200 languages. The shift, effective immediately, will eliminate non-English materials except where federal law requires them.