Statement from Our Executive Director on President Trump’s Recent Executive Orders

This week, President Trump signed an executive order declaring English the national language of the United States, and will likely soon order the dismantling of the Department of Education. Make no mistake: these orders are more than simply symbolic gestures, and they will have devastating consequences for students, families and communities across the country.

First, one thing is clear at this moment: the President cannot unilaterally dismantle the Department of Education with the stroke of a pen. An executive order can instruct federal agencies to take certain actions, but it cannot eliminate an entire government department. That would require legislation from Congress. But dismantling the Department of Education would have untold consequences for low-income students and school districts, and make it harder for states to protect students and their families from discrimination.

While we prepare for any orders the President gives on the Department of Education, and any ensuing legal battle we must note that the ‘English-only’ executive order has more immediate impacts. It rolls back requirements that federal agencies make their public services accessible to non-native English speakers. While nothing is law yet, and we know this order will be challenged in court, it appears that the Trump administration’s aim is to make institutions act like it already is, by instilling fear and prompting anticipatory changes.

This executive order will make life harder for families who do not speak English fluently. It will result in fewer translation services available in courts, healthcare offices, and schools. This threatens due process, access to basic services, and freedom of education and expression, all of which is patently un-American. While we do not foresee any changes to the delivery of SEAL’s services, we know that the families of English Learner students at schools nationwide will suffer when government resources, rules, and documents are only available in English. Children of families with limited English proficiency will be less likely to have access to critical services and support, and this will impede their learning and wellbeing.

This executive order deliberately ignores our country’s history as a multilingual, multicultural nation, and the 350 languages currently spoken by millions of Americans. Our research and evidence-based professional learning for teachers of culturally and linguistically diverse classrooms is built on this foundation. Multilingualism is the future, and our children need to be able to speak, read, and think in more than one language in order to be truly successful in our globalized world. Lawmakers and education leaders across the political spectrum agree.

President Trump’s dangerous betrayal of America’s founding principles will have real consequences for the families of the children at our partner schools, which will threaten the stability and success of generations to come. We will be mobilizing with our education partners in California and nationwide to ensure our legislators push back on this radical, catastrophic policy move. We will also be working with our partner schools to support them in their civic engagement efforts, and helping them unite their communities to push back. Above all, we stand by our commitment to a multilingual future, and are here to support teachers as they lead classrooms that produce better readers, writers, learners, and critical thinkers who will lead our country to a brighter future.