By: Yoyo Rita
Hello dear ILG friends and colleagues! The year is coming to an end, and there are many social and legislative shifts taking place. In workplace investigations, as I am quick to remind all who will listen, language access for non-English speakers and LEPs (Limited English Proficient folks) is not a choice—it’s essential to ensure we fairly, promptly, and thoroughly complete our inquiries into workplace matters. Indeed, language disparities can and do even form the basis of many complaints. So the fact remains: it is our duty to provide full language access to participants in an investigation, by utilizing trained, professional interpreters and translators when needed. Resources like the ATA (American Translators Association), NAJIT (National Association of Judicial Interpreters and Translators), Proz.com, and ILG’s own Spanish Language Services, are a few of the numerous trustworthy sources to seek out qualified language professionals.
However, the trends on the federal level in terms of language access enforcement (derived principally from the Civil Rights Act[1], which mandates language services for non-English speakers) are shifting rapidly. It serves investigators, frequent users of interpreters and translators, to be aware of these shifts and how they limit language access for folks on the federal level.
On March 1, 2025, President Trump signed Executive Order 14224, which designates English as the official language of the United States. Read my article here to find the impacts on language access that this Executive Order has on language access. Since my initial article’s publishing, government language resources like LEP.gov and the 2022 DOJ LEP guidance have been removed or taken down. DHS’s Office of Civil Rights was even eliminated.
More concerning yet are the developments this summer from the Trump administration. In July 2025, the DOJ released new guidance[2] stating, contrary to prior interpretations of the law, that federal agencies may implement English-only policies without violating anti-discrimination laws unless there is clear evidence of intentional discrimination. Following this guidance, multiple federal agencies’ Office of Civil Rights have been further reduced.
Though the Civil Rights Act remains in place, federal enforcement of legally ensured language access to government institutions is already decreasing. This will surely have a trickle-down effect to state and local governments.
Despite these concerning developments, we must remain steadfast in our professional practice. We can do so by providing non-English speakers and LEPs full and equal access to our investigation proceedings.
Looking for a trained and professional Spanish interpreter? Contact ILG today for assistance with interpreting/translating for Spanish-speaking parties in investigations, mediations, depositions, and arbitration.
[1] https://www.eeoc.gov/statutes/title-vii-civil-rights-act-1964
[2] https://ogletree.com/insights-resources/blog-posts/doj-guidance-directs-federal-agencies-to-minimize-multilingual-services/