CAPAC Leadership Slams Trump Administration for Reducing Access to Multilingual Services
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, the leadership of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC) issued a joint statement condemning the Department of Justice’s new memorandum that slashes access to multilingual government services:
“Everyone deserves full and equal access to federal programs, no matter what language they speak. Yet President Trump is determined to strip multilingual services away from millions of immigrants and people with limited English proficiency under the guise of ‘national unity.’
“It is hypocritical for the administration to claim its English-only mandate promotes unity while simultaneously slashing millions in federal funding for English language integration programs. This memo only serves to make life harder for immigrants and deny the government programs they deserve.
“English may be the common language of our nation, but speaking another language does not make anyone less American. And no matter what President Trump believes, he does not—and will never—have the power to decide who is truly American.”
The statement was signed by CAPAC Chair Grace Meng (NY-06), First Vice Chair Mark Takano (CA-39), Second Vice Chair Jill Tokuda (HI-02), Whip Ami Bera (CA-06), Freshman Representative Suhas Subramanyam (VA-10), and Chair Emerita Judy Chu (CA-28).
The U.S. Census Bureau estimates that more than 25 million Americans—eight percent of the U.S. population—have limited English proficiency. Language assistance services for people with LEP are essential to protect every Americans’ right to access federal services.
CAPAC had previously demanded answers from President Trump, U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi, and 15 federal agencies regarding the impacts of Executive Order 14224 and its potential disruptions to services and programs for individuals with limited English proficiency (LEP). [1] [2]
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Founded in 1994, the bicameral Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus is composed of 82 members of Congress who advocate on behalf of Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) communities. The Caucus is led by Congresswoman Grace Meng, who was elected CAPAC Chair in 2024.