LAS VEGAS (KLAS) – The United States is known for being a melting pot of cultures, and dialects, but with President Trump’s new executive order mandating that English be the official language what does that mean for those who don’t speak the language proficiently or at all?
“The impact could be far and wide depending on how implementation actually occurs or it could have almost no impact at all,” Athar Haseebullah, Executive Director of the ACLU of Nevada told 8 News Now.
The non-profit organization has been at the forefront of many issues impacting civil liberties and civil rights and Haseebullah says the potential of cutting off government services based on language barriers is problematic.
“If they do end up implementing this in a way that is being used as discriminatory, we are prepared to litigate against this administration as well,” he added.
Those over at the Nevada Immigrant Coalition voicing the fact that while the President isn’t forcing any of our state agencies to stop providing these services, the option for them to do so is now there. Language assistance, was once required under the Clinton administration.
“There’s definitely a concern,” Hector Fong with the Nevada Immigrant Coalition shared.
“We urge our state legislator to take the matter into their own hands and keep providing these resources. Nevada is one in five for immigrants and we have a growing AAPI population too,” he added.
There are dozens of state agencies in Nevada that have been making strides to implement even more language access plans and translation services like providing interpreters.
The Southern Nevada Health District issued 8 News Now this statement,
“The recent executive order designating English as the official language does not change the way the Southern Nevada Health District operates or provides services to our clients. We remain committed to ensuring access to essential public health services to our community.
The Nevada Department of Health and Human Services will also continue providing services in accordance with the Nevada Revised Statues and released the following statement.
According to President Trump, his reasoning for designating English as the official language of the United States is to “create a more cohesive and efficient society and promotes unity.”
Also stating that it, “cultivates a shared American culture for all citizens, ensures consistency in government operations, and creates a pathway to civic engagement.”
