In the weeks before President Donald Trump signed an executive order designating English as the official language of the United States, the Department of Government Efficiency canceled at least 10 contracts that provided federal agencies with language or translation services.
DOGE claimed the contracts, which covered translation, interpretation and language specialist services, contributed to millions of dollars in savings. But Democratic lawmakers and language access advocates warned that shutting down these contracts could be dire for vulnerable Americans who rely on translated materials or interpreters.
And Democrats fear the executive order could mean more cuts to language services are on the way.
“People are not going to be able to access resources that they’re paying into and they deserve,” Democratic Rep. Delia Ramirez told NOTUS. “If, in fact, you start canceling these contracts in hospitals and other places, this could really be detrimental to communities that need language access in a time of so much uncertainty.”
Trump signed an executive order this month that designated English as the official language of the United States and rolled back a Clinton-era executive order that required federal agencies to improve access to programs and materials for people with limited English proficiency. It doesn’t go as far as some state-level laws: The Trump order does not require agencies to change anything about existing translated or non-English resources they may currently provide.
But Trump’s pro-English push has caused concerns about the federal government’s commitment to continued accessibility to Americans who don’t speak English well. About 8% of the U.S. population has limited English proficiency. In some states, that rate is even higher: In 2015, almost 20% of residents in California had limited English proficiency, according to the most recent data available from the Department of Justice.
A survey from KFF last year found that people with limited English proficiency often face worse health care outcomes, discrimination at work and other related issues.
Four of the now-canceled contracts were between Human Touch Translations, a New York-based company that provides language services, and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. The contractor helped CFPB process complaints submitted in languages other than English, translate materials related to examining entities in Puerto Rico and translate evidence and testimonies in cases against banks and financial companies, a source familiar with the contracts told NOTUS.
Another source familiar with the CFPB contracts said the cancellation was a complete surprise.
The cancellations could create concerning outcomes for Americans who may no longer receive some services they previously received through contractors, said Jacob Hofstetter, who conducts research and policy work on language access for the Migration Policy Institute.
“These just help individuals who are limited English proficient be able to better access these programs by having less barriers based solely on their language,” Hofstetter told NOTUS of language access resources. He added that the cancellations “could lead to [agencies] not being able to offer those materials to individuals who are limited English proficient, which could hinder or limit the access of LEP individuals to be able to access programs, services, information, et cetera.”
None of the other agencies or contractors involved in the now-canceled contracts answered questions from NOTUS about what types of services would be impacted.
An FBI spokesperson said in an email to NOTUS that the agency has “no comment on the status of specific contracts.” The FBI held a now-canceled contract for language services with a company called Forfeiture Support Associates.
A spokesperson for the Department of the Interior — which held a now-canceled contract for Spanish translation services with a company called Accent on Languages — said in a statement to NOTUS that “under President Trump’s leadership, we are prioritizing strategic reforms to maximize resources, cut waste, and enhance operational effectiveness across our facilities.”
“We are actively working with [the General Services Administration] to ensure that every facility and asset is utilized effectively, and where necessary, identifying alternative solutions that strengthen our mission,” the spokesperson said.
In the past, federal agency contracts for language-related services have been used to help natural disaster victims with limited English proficiency access recovery resources and provide interpretation over the phone for people accessing health-related resources, among other functions.
Some of the now-canceled contracts provided interpretation and translation services related to native languages, according to the DOGE website. Contracts between the Bureau of Indian Affairs and two different companies were for a native language specialist for the Office of Indian Economic Development. A contract between the Department of Health and Human Services and a tribal-owned company called Cherokee United Services provided translation services.
Sen. Markwayne Mullin, an Oklahoma Republican who is a member of the Cherokee Nation, told NOTUS he supports working with government contractors to procure native language services, but added that some of the contract cancellations for native language services were justified because they “weren’t being utilized like they’re supposed to be.”
“The thing that we want to be careful with is that … we’re not overlooking it just because they’re a fairly recognized tribe, but we’re still looking for fraud and waste,” Mullin said.
Montech Inc., one of the companies that provided the Bureau of Indian Affairs with a native language specialist, declined to comment.
Hofstetter told NOTUS that since the language directives and contract cancellations have been so recent, it’s difficult to gauge how exactly their effects will play out. He added that existing contracts that have not been axed by DOGE may still provide some of the same services rolled back through other avenues.
The Trump administration’s broader approach to language resources has prompted concerns beyond just the contracts.
Trump’s English-only sentiments aren’t new. He said during a Republican presidential debate in 2015 — when he was campaigning for his first term in office — that “we have a country where to assimilate you have to speak English” and that “this is a country where we speak English, not Spanish.”
In a statement announcing the executive order, the White House said that “English has been the language of our nation” since its founding and “President Trump has long championed the idea that English should be the official language of the United States.”
Unlike federal agencies under the new executive order, federal funding recipients are still required under civil rights law to provide language access materials. But Trump’s executive order removed guidance materials and documents for federal funding recipients regarding how best to meet language accessibility guidelines, which would make it harder for such entities to actually comply with requirements, Hofstetter said.
Prominent linguistics and language instruction organizations also issued statements criticizing the executive order as exclusionary and discriminatory. Some statements asserted that the order ignores legal precedent and civil rights laws.
Ramirez called the administration’s language-related directives “disgusting” and said they’re a sign that “the great, beautiful America of diversity isn’t appreciated or respected under this administration.”
Trump allies told NOTUS they don’t see a reason for concern.
Rep. Carlos Gimenez said he doesn’t know the details of the canceled federal language contracts, but that the cuts “could be the right call.” Census data suggests that almost three-quarters of the residents in the congressional district Gimenez represents speak Spanish.
“They may have a really good reason why,” he told NOTUS. “They’re finding savings all over the place and we have to find savings.”
Phil Kent of ProEnglish — an organization that’s been at the forefront of the push for over a decade to designate English as the official language of the U.S. — also downplayed fears about what Trump’s moves could mean for non-English speakers in the country.
“I thought that tribal languages could be an exception for translation,” Kent, the organization’s board president, told NOTUS. “There’s exceptions for probably, obviously, the court system and legal translations and foreign trade … When ProEnglish was talking about that in the first Trump term, there was more flexibility there.”
Kent said ProEnglish met with Trump administration attorneys at the end of the president’s first term to confer about the executive order. The organization is continuing to advocate for the order to be expanded, including by backing legislation introduced this term by members of Congress to codify English as the official language into law, he said.
“It can help you prosper and get the American dream. Everybody wants to make more money, everybody wants to get ahead in life, and so English is the key to that,” Kent told NOTUS.
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Shifra Dayak and Helen Huiskes are NOTUS reporters and Allbritton Journalism Institute fellows. Samuel Larreal, a NOTUS reporter and an Allbritton Journalism Institute fellow, contributed reporting.