President Trump's recent executive order designating English as the official language of the United States represents a significant, historic, and challenging setback for language access and inclusion across the country.
On March 1, 2025, the administration rescinded Executive Order 13166, which had previously required federal agencies to provide assistance programs for people with limited English proficiency (LEP).
This policy shift threatens to erect new barriers for millions of Americans who rely on language assistance to access essential services, including housing support, healthcare, and legal protection.
(Photo by Press Pool, via WSJ)

Published March 25, 2025 by Bill Sorro Housing Program

Understanding the Executive Order and Its Implications

Executive Order 13166 (Improving Access to Services for Persons with Limited English Proficiency), signed into law in 2000 by then-President Bill Clinton, mandated federal agencies to provide language accessibility for LEP families across the United States.

This was rescinded in Trump’s executive order on March 1st, which, according to the White House, aims to promote "unity” by consolidating our national language and culture.

On the first night of his presidency, the Trump Administration removed the Spanish language version of the official website of the White House, calling into question the sincerity of this push towards unifying the country.

While agencies may voluntarily maintain language assistance programs, such as San Francisco’s strong Language Access Ordinance, the removal of federal requirements significantly weakens protections for non-English speakers.

Even as linguistic diversity in America continues to grow, this elimination of language access protections is a clear indication of the current administration’s growing opposition to increased access and opportunities for marginalized communities.

Who is affected the most?

Unsurprisingly, the impact of this executive order will disproportionately fall on seniors, immigrant communities, refugees, and our most vulnerable communities with limited English proficiency.

According to recent data, approximately one in five people now speak a language other than English at home. In San Francisco specifically, this diversity is even more pronounced, with over 151,000 residents speaking languages other than English at home.

About half (47%) of immigrant adults in the U.S. have limited English proficiency (LEP), meaning they speak English less than very well. The top five languages spoken by people with LEP include Spanish (63%), Chinese (7%), Vietnamese (3%), Arabic (2%), and Tagalog (2%).

For low-income LEP individuals in San Francisco – many of whom are already struggling with housing insecurity – the consequences could be severe.

Without guaranteed language assistance at federal agencies, these community members may face increased difficulties in:

Accessing federal housing subsidies and programs
Understanding their rights during legal or eviction proceedings
Navigating immigration paperwork that affects support eligibility
Applying for Social Security, Medicare, and other critical safety net programs
Communicating with federal law enforcement or the court system

The timing of this order is particularly concerning as it coincides with ongoing housing challenges in cities like San Francisco, where affordable housing remains scarce and displacement pressures continue to affect vulnerable communities.

How BiSHoP is Responding to Protect Our Communities

From its inception, Bill Sorro Housing Program (BiSHoP) was built upon providing greater language access to Filipino seniors and families in SOMA.

As we’ve grown to serve other communities in San Francisco, we remain deeply committed to our mission of increasing access and defending housing for diverse, vulnerable, low-income populations in San Francisco, regardless of the language they speak.

Language access is fundamental to housing justice, and as San Francisco’s only known resource for DAHLIA support in Arabic, we are dedicated to continuing our efforts to provide housing support services in multiple languages.

While federal protections may have been weakened, San Francisco's Language Access Ordinance (LAO) continues to provide strong local protections. We're working to ensure these local protections remain robust and accessible to all who need them.

What We Can Do Together

In the face of this executive order, our commitment to multilingual service and advocacy must be stronger than ever. Here are steps that individuals, organizations, and communities can take to support those affected:

Community Organizing

By organizing our communities around language access rights, we can build power to advocate for policy changes at local and state levels that counteract federal rollbacks.

As movements across the country take place against the current administration’s vision and policies, it’s crucial for communities to not only talk, but demonstrate their messages.

In the world of housing, tenant organizations have been key to giving communities a voice in their living spaces, even in languages other than English.

See “Action Together” for a list of organized movements to join, and for a list of multilingual housing resources, see the SF Anti-Displacement Coalition’s list!

Educating Our Communities

Thankfully, there are non-profits and community organizations across San Francisco, and across the nation that are devoted to providing language accessibility for a myriad of issues.

Organizations like BiSHoP, Asian Law Caucus, La Raza CRC, and SOMCAN are committed to providing multilingual education about housing and rights to community members about theirs, and helping them advocate for themselves and others.

Keeping resources open to families

Defending Language Access

With language access now losing support at the federal level, state and community support is crucial to keeping vital programs and services alive that serve LEP households.

Non-profits like the Bill Sorro Housing Program depend on the support of the city and its community to provide language-accessible services to vulnerable families across the city.

As federal support dwindles, non-profit language-support organizations will need your help – and so will their clients.

Conclusion

Language access is not a luxury or special accommodation—it is a fundamental component of civil rights, human dignity, and equal opportunity.

Trump's executive order represents a step backward in America's journey toward becoming a more inclusive society. At BiSHoP, we will continue to champion language access as essential to our mission of housing justice, and we invite our community to join us in this vital work.

Despite federal policy changes, our message remains clear: everyone deserves access to safe, stable housing and the ability to navigate housing systems in the language they understand best. Together, we can ensure that language differences do not become insurmountable barriers to housing security for San Francisco's diverse communities.

[Bill Sorro Housing Program (BiSHoP) is a 501(c)3 non-profit in San Francisco, California. Our mission is to help vulnerable families find, secure, and defend affordable housing. Donate today to support our fight.]

[Additional Resources in San Francisco]

Bill Sorro Housing Program (BiSHoP)

BiSHoP provides multilingual tenant counseling, affordable housing application assistance, and tenants' rights workshops.

Services are offered in English, Tagalog, Spanish, Arabic, and French.

How to Access: Visit us during drop-in hours (first three Mondays of each month) or contact our office directly for assistance.

Housing Rights Committee of San Francisco

Offers free counseling on a range of housing issues, including rent control, eviction defense, and Section 8 housing; Provides support to tenants facing discrimination based on language or immigration status.

Services are offered in English, Spanish, Cantonese and Mandarin

How to Access: Visit their website for more information.

Eviction Defense Collaborative

Provides legal assistance and counseling for tenants facing eviction; Also ensures LEP tenants understand their rights during legal proceedings.

Services are offered in English & Spanish

How to Access: Call them during business hours at 415.947.0797, or visit them during their drop-in hours:
Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday: 10 a.m.-11:30 a.m. and 1 p.m.-2:30 p.m. (More info)

La Raza Community Resource Center

Offers free services including food distribution, housing assistance, and legal support in Spanish and English;
Focuses mainly on Latino immigrant communities in San Francisco.

Services are offered in English & Spanish

How to Access: Visit their center during drop-in hours or call them. (Details here, in the footer)
Drop-Ins | Monday, Tuesday and Thursday: 10AM - 4PM

Asian Law Caucus

Provides free legal support on housing issues for Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) communities; Combats discrimination against LEP tenants and offers interpretation services for multilingual clients.

How to Access: Contact their office directly for support (via their website)

Trump's Threats to Language Access