For Immediate Release: March 4, 2025
Contact: Lasamee Kettavong, media@napawf.org

WASHINGTON D.C. – In yet another attack on immigrant communities, President Trump signed an executive order that symbolically caters to nativist English language advocates and also overturns a federal directive ensuring that government agencies and federally funded organizations provide language access services. This effectively cuts federal dollars that facilitates access by monolingual and Limited English Proficient (LEP) speakers to critical life-saving resources. This order additionally dismantles over 25 years of federal language access protections established under Executive Order 13166, which affirmed that language access is a civil right under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. 

“Speaking English should not be a requirement for belonging in a country that is made up of immigrants. This executive order is a blatant attempt by the Trump Administration to exclude and marginalize immigrant communities, particularly Asian American and Pacific Islanders (AAPIs),” said Tuyet Duong, Chief Policy and Government Affairs Officer at the National Asian Pacific American Women’s Forum. “AAPI communities are among the most linguistically diverse in the country, with roots in over 20 countries across East, Southeast, and South Asia. More than 86% of Asian immigrants speak a language other than English at home, and nearly one-third (32%) of Asian American immigrants and 12 percent of Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders are considered LEP. This attack on language access will prevent our communities from obtaining vital healthcare, financial assistance, and even understanding their own immigration status.” 

“For centuries, the United States has thrived because of its diversity, with hundreds of languages spoken across the country every day. Pretending otherwise denies our history and the very fabric of who we are. Language access is at the heart of reproductive justice and impacts all of the different ways in which federal and state governments serve the public,” said Sung Yeon Choimorrow, Executive Director of NAPAWF. “Eliminating language access will have far-reaching consequences, disproportionately harming immigrant communities and making everyday life more difficult for immigrant mothers and their children. LEP individuals will face even greater barriers to healthcare, worsening health disparities and increasing medical errors. Immigrants navigating the legal system–whether for citizenship, green card renewals, or asylum—will struggle without vital translation and interpretation services. Access to disaster relief, public health resources, family planning, basic reproductive healthcare, and even workplace protections will be severely restricted, leaving communities more vulnerable in times of crisis, worsening economic and health disparities. This order will only serve to deepen inequalities and strip millions of their ability to fully participate in society.” 

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The National Asian Pacific American Women’s Forum (NAPAWF) is the only organization dedicated to uplifting and building power with AAPI women and girls in the US. Employing a reproductive justice framework to guide our work, we use organizing, advocacy, and communications strategies to assert full agency over our lives, our families, and our communities.